Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 May 2021 to Question 496 on Coronavirus: Disease Control, whether the UK Health and Safety Laboratory has made an assessment of the potential merits of using hyrodxyl free radical air purification technologies to help stop the primary cause of covid-19 virus transmission via aerosol and water droplets; which companies provided the technology that was used in the assessments of the potential merits of those technologies that has already been undertaken by (a) SAGE and (b) Public Health England; and what the process is for third parties to be able to present to Government the potential use of their technology and credentials to support the undertaking of such assessments.

The UK Health and Safety Laboratory conducted a small pilot study of a number of technologies used as ‘air purifiers’ as a preliminary indication of the potential for these systems to improve air quality. However, this pilot preceded the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore did not focus on airborne virus control.

While the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies undertook a review of existing evidence on the application of UV disinfection, visible light, local air filtration and fumigation technologies to microbial control, it did not make an assessment of technologies supplied by companies. In our earlier answer to Question 496, we stated that Public Health England undertook an assessment of such technologies. However, this information was incorrect and we have amended the record by Written Ministerial Statement on 1 March 2022 HCWS648.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) accepts submissions from companies for technologies and associated credentials. Interested parties can contact UKHSA directly to provide further information on the potential use of such technologies.