Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Health and Safety Executive on including in Government guidance on approved hand sanitisers products that have an alcohol content of less than 60 per cent proof; and if he will make a statement.

Public Health England has not had any discussions with the Health and Safety Executive on the use of hand sanitisers products that have an alcohol content of less than 60% proof. The scientific evidence shows that alcohol-based hand sanitisers with ethanol at concentrations of at least 70% and up to 90% are effective against most enveloped viruses, such as COVID-19, within 30 seconds. At 95% the virucidal activity of ethanol covers the majority of clinically relevant viruses. Isopropyl alcohol has a similar but less virucidal range of activity.