Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss a public health campaign with Transport for London to educate passengers on reducing the spread of influenza on public transport.

Public Health England (PHE) engages in public health campaigns when there is an evidence base to demonstrate the likely impact on positive public health outcomes. There is evidence that people are more likely to respond to messages about respiratory and hand hygiene when there is an imminent threat to public health, such as a pandemic.

PHE closely monitors flu infection rates, and should rates suddenly accelerate or meet unacceptably high levels, they could activate such a campaign. Although PHE did not run a Catch It. Bin It. Kill It campaign during 2013-14, campaign materials e.g. print and digital resources were made available for local use.

PHE would engage key partners such as Transport for London in the preparation of any such initiative.