Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that an adequate number of HEPA filters are available in schools in Newcastle.

Air cleaning units were allocated to providers based on need, using the eligibility criteria we have set out in our guidance, which is available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj.

As of 24 January, 1,265 providers that applied for department-funded air cleaning units were eligible for air cleaning units, including 8 providers in Newcastle. We are currently finalising the total number of units allocated to providers, this will depend on the needs identified by eligible providers, including the number of people using the room(s).

The total number of eligible providers mirrors published summary findings from the department’s survey of the use of CO2 monitors, which show that only 3% of providers using carbon dioxide monitors reported sustained high carbon dioxide readings that couldn’t otherwise be addressed. This is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units.

The total number of air cleaning units that providers have applied for was just over 8,000. Up to an additional 1,000 units have now been ordered, bringing the total number of units available up to 9,000, allowing all eligible applications to be fulfilled.