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Written Question
Schools: Coronavirus
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing high-efficiency particulate absorbing filters in schools to tackle the risk of covid-19 infection.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department has considered the merits of high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filter use in schools, as well as recognising how good ventilation helps to create a healthy indoor environment for staff and students.

There is strong evidence from laboratory studies of the efficacy of HEPA filtration technology at removing airborne viruses and particulate matter from the air.

Departmental officials sit on the working group for a project looking at the implications and potential benefits of fitting primary schools with air cleaning technology: the Bradford classroom air cleaning technology (class-ACT) trial. This was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed through the UK Health Security Agency. The study is run from the Centre for Applied Education Research which is based at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. The trial has concluded, and the academic leads intend to publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal in due course.

Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles which reduces the risk of respiratory illness, as well as improves pupils’ alertness and concentration. Between September 2021 and April 2023, the department delivered over 700,000 CO2 monitors to over 45,000 state-funded settings, including schools. This means that all eligible settings now have an assigned CO2 monitor for every teaching and childcare space to help them manage their ventilation.

For settings that identified spaces with sustained high CO2 readings (1500ppm or more) through their monitors, an application process was made available for department-funded air cleaning units (ACUs) that utilise HEPA technology. This policy was informed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies’ Environmental Modelling Group which advises that ACUs have limited benefit in spaces that are already adequately ventilated and should only be considered where the ventilation is inadequate and cannot be easily improved. The department has subsequently delivered over 9,000 ACUs to over 1,300 settings between January 2022 and April 2023.


Written Question
Schools: Air Conditioning
Monday 27th November 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of fitting schools with air cleaning technology.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Officials in the department sit on the working group for a project looking at the implications and potential benefits of fitting primary schools with air cleaning technology: the Bradford classroom air cleaning technology (class-ACT) trial. This was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed through the UK Health Security Agency. The study is run from the Centre for Applied Education Research, which is based at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. The trial has concluded, and the academic leads intend to publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal in due course.

There is strong evidence from laboratory studies of the efficacy of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter air cleaning units at removing airborne viruses from the air. Although they help improve air quality, air cleaning units do not reduce CO2 levels or improve ventilation so it’s important that they are not used as a substitute for ventilation or a reason to reduce it.

The department recognises that good ventilation helps to create a healthy indoor environment for staff and pupils. Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles which reduces the risk of respiratory illnesses, as well as improves pupils’ alertness and concentration.

Between September 2021 and April 2023, the department delivered over 700,000 CO2 monitors to over 45,000 state-funded schools and colleges. This means that all eligible school and college now has an assigned CO2 monitor for every teaching and childcare space to help them manage their ventilation.

For schools and colleges that identified spaces with sustained high CO2 readings (1500ppm or more) through their monitors, an application process was made available for department funded HEPA filter air cleaning units. This policy was informed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies Environmental Modelling Group which advises that air cleaning units have limited benefit in spaces that are already adequately ventilated and should only be considered where the ventilation is inadequate and cannot be easily improved. The department has subsequently delivered over 9,000 air cleaning units to over 1,300 settings between January 2022 and April 2023.


Written Question
Schools: Air Conditioning
Thursday 16th November 2023

Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of installing HEPA filters in early years educational settings.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

To date, department officials are not aware of any studies looking at the impact of using air conditioning units (ACU) specifically in early years settings. However, there is strong evidence from laboratory studies of the efficacy of high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filtration technology at removing airborne viruses and particulate matter from the air. In addition, department officials sit on the working group for a project looking at the implications and potential benefits of fitting primary schools with air cleaning technology: the Bradford classroom air cleaning technology (class-ACT) trial. This was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The study is run from the Centre for Applied Education Research which is based at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. The trial has concluded and the academic leads intend to publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal in due course.

The department recognises that good ventilation helps to create a healthy indoor environment for staff and students. Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles which reduces the risk of respiratory illness, as well as improving pupils’ alertness and concentration.

Between September 2021 and April 2023, the department delivered over 700,000 CO2 monitors to over 45,000 state-funded settings, including early years, further education, childminders operating in groups of four or more, and children’s homes that offer places to 6 or more. This means that all eligible settings now have an assigned CO2 monitor for every teaching and childcare space to help them manage their ventilation.

For settings that identified spaces with sustained high CO2 readings (1500ppm or more) through their monitors, an application process was made available for department-funded ACUs that utilise HEPA technology. This policy was informed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies’ (SAGE) Environmental Modelling Group, which advises that ACUs have limited benefit in spaces that are already adequately ventilated and should only be considered where the ventilation is inadequate and cannot be easily improved. The department has subsequently delivered over 9,000 ACUs to over 1,300 settings between January 2022 and April 2023. This included eligible early years settings.


Written Question
District Heating: Training
Wednesday 15th November 2023

Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that training centres have the (a) resources and (b) developed curriculum to train heat network installers.

Answered by Robert Halfon

In the 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy, the government committed to a range of policies enabling a zero-carbon heating system in the UK. In the strategy, the government committed to investing £338 million into the Heat Network Transformation Programme over 2022/23 to 2024/25.

The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’s 2020 Heat Network Skills Review found, among other things that:

  • Skills challenges in the energy and engineering sectors were a barrier to the uptake of heat networks.
  • The heat networks sector lacks data to support workforce planning.
  • Occupations particularly in demand include project delivery managers, heat network development managers, and control system specialists.
  • Heat network training is often informal and completed on-the-job as continuing professional development. There are some private organisations that deliver specific training on heat networks.

Earlier this year, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ran the Heat Training Grant competition for education providers in England. This funding facilitates the ability to provide training on the designing, building, and maintenance of heat networks. A further round of the scheme will run for training to be delivered in academic year 2024/25.

There are existing courses funded by the department for education that provide the skills needed to build and operate heat networks. These are highlighted in the list below:

  • The building services engineering craftsperson level 3 apprenticeship provides learners with the experience and training necessary to install large-scale heating systems in buildings like factories and hospitals, including those powered by sustainable energy.
  • Skills Bootcamps have been delivered on a range of green heating technologies. The courses are open to adults aged 19 and over and are designed with employers to meet short to medium-term skill shortages and to boost productivity.
  • The Building Services Engineering for Construction T Level supports learners to progress to a job as a heating & ventilation engineer, which can include low carbon technologies like heat networks.
  • The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is currently developing an occupational standard for an apprenticeship at level 3, entitled district heat network maintenance technician.
  • The network of 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) is committed to supporting the government’s targets for sustainability and net zero. With access to £300 million of capital funding to develop industry-standard facilities and equipment, IoTs are delivering higher level technical provision in key STEM subjects, such as net zero carbon energy production.
  • The department has launched the Local Skills Improvement Fund to implement the training facilities needed to meet the workforce needs set out in an area’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). £80 million of capital and revenue funding is in the process of being awarded, and a further £85 million of capital funding will be made available in 2024/25. This funding can be used for the equipment needed to deliver training on heat networks if that is designated as a local workforce need in an area’s LSIP.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Schools
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2022 to Question 22411 on Coronavirus: Schools, whether she has provided guidance to schools on the findings of the Rapid Covid-19 Air Disinfection Study; if she will place a copy of the findings of that study in the Library; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Rapid Covid-19 Air Disinfection Study, which has been renamed the Bradford classroom air cleaning technology (class-ACT) trial, is a project looking at the implications and potential benefits of fitting schools with air cleaning technology.

This trial was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed through the UK Health Security Agency. The study is run from the Centre for Applied Education Research which is based at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the UK. Officials from the Department for Education sat on the working group of the trial. The trial has concluded and the academic leads intend to make the results available by publishing in a peer reviewed journal in due course. As the results have not yet been published, no guidance has been provided.

The Department recognises that good ventilation can reduce the spread of respiratory infections and has provided CO2 monitors to all eligible state funded settings in England. These monitors enable staff to identify areas where ventilation needs to be improved and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working. This helps balance the need for good ventilation and keeping classrooms warm. The Department has also provided over 9,000 air cleaning units (ACUs) to over 1,300 settings that had sustained high CO2 readings of above 1500ppm. These ACUs work through high efficiency particulate air filter technology.


Written Question
Schools: Air Conditioning
Wednesday 20th September 2023

Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of using air purifying equipment in schools on levels of covid-19 infections in schools.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Good ventilation can reduce the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

Evidence from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies demonstrates that CO2 monitoring is an effective method of identifying poor ventilation in spaces with multiple occupants. The Department knows that sufficient ventilation can be challenging, particularly in the winter months when staff sometimes feel they need to choose between fresh air to reduce the risk of airborne illnesses, keeping classrooms warm and the impact of increased heating costs. As such, the Department has provided CO2 monitors for approximately 100% of eligible teaching spaces in England. This will help staff balance good ventilation with energy usage whilst maintaining a comfortable temperature in rooms.

These CO2 monitors enable the ventilation in teaching spaces to be monitored. Where these monitors consistently identified poor ventilation that could not be easily remedied, schools were able to apply for Department funded air cleaning units (ACU). The Department has now provided over 9,000 ACUs to eligible settings.

In general, ACUs can help reduce airborne contaminants in poorly ventilated spaces. ACUs remove particulate matter, including virus particles, from the air to improve indoor air quality. The air purifiers provided by the Department work using high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter technology. There is strong evidence from laboratory studies of the efficacy of HEPA filtration technology at removing airborne viruses from the air. However, although they help improve air quality, ACUs do not reduce CO2 levels or improve ventilation, so it is important that they are not used as a substitute for ventilation or a reason to reduce it.

Department officials sit on the working group for a project looking at the implications and potential benefits of fitting schools with air cleaning technology, which is the Bradford classroom air cleaning technology trial. This was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed through the UK Health Security Agency. The study is run from the Centre for Applied Education Research which is based at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. The trial has concluded and the academic leads intend to publish the results in a peer reviewed journal in due course.


Written Question
GP Surgeries and Hospitals: Buildings
Friday 30th June 2023

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of older buildings on the (a) ventilation and (b) infection, prevention and control measures of hospitals and GP practices that reside within them.

Answered by Will Quince

NHS organisations and Primary Care providers regularly review all their estate locally to ensure it meets the required standards for ventilation and infection, prevention and control measures and will invest in improvements where required.

Health and social care providers have obligations set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008: code of practice on the prevention and control of infections to undertake steps to keep patients, residents and staff safe.

Guidance is provided by NHS England to the NHS in the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM 03-01) Specialised ventilation for healthcare buildings. Additional related guidance was issued on 9 May 2023 on the application of high-efficiency particulate absorbing filter devices for air cleaning in healthcare spaces and the application of ultraviolet devices for air cleaning in occupied healthcare spaces.


Written Question
Hospitals: Air Conditioning
Monday 25th July 2022

Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the existing guidance on the use of air conditioning units in hospitals wards in England was last reviewed.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Guidance is kept under review and updated as appropriate. The existing guidance ‘Specialised ventilation for healthcare buildings’ was updated in June 2021 and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-ventilation-for-healthcare-buildings/


Written Question
Coronavirus: Air Conditioning
Tuesday 19th April 2022

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the study by Morris and others entitled, The removal of airborne SARS-COV-2 and other microbial bioaerosols on air filtration on COVID-19 surge units, published on 30 October 2021, if he will hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on the finding of that study on the effectiveness of using mechanical ventilation systems or standalone air filtration with ePM1 80 per cent minimum efficiency to remove some 96 per cent of the airborne covid-19 virus within two air changes.

Answered by Maggie Throup

Representatives of NHS Test and Trace and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have held discussions with experts in air purification technologies, including representatives from research prior to commissioning research on environmental technologies. The UKHSA will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders. The outcomes of the study by Morris et al have informed the Addenbrookes Air Disinfection Study, which is currently underway. The study’s main authors are members of the working group established by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to oversee the study.


Written Question
Hospitals: Ventilation
Thursday 5th August 2021

Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)

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 13 July 2021 to Question 290800 on Hospitals: Ventilation, what budget has been made available for enforcement activities in respect of ventilation in hospitals in each of the last ten years; what enforcement action has been taken in respect of ventilation in each of the last ten years; and when he last met representatives of (a) relevant NHS Trusts and (b) trade unions recognised within the NHS to discuss the ventilation of hospitals.

Answered by Nadine Dorries

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) enforcement activity is funded by Grant-in-Aid from the Department. However, the CQC has advised that information on the budget specifically for enforcement activities is not held in the format requested.

The CQC can consider ventilation as part of an inspection of a hospital or general practitioner practice and has a range of tools it can use on a proportionate basis, in line with its enforcement policy. However, the CQC do not record centrally the specific reason for taking regulatory action and to obtain information relating to enforcement on ventilation issues could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. There have been no specific meetings to discuss ventilation.