Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with Transport for London the installation of hand sanitisers on London Underground trains and platforms.

Hand sanitisers can make an additional useful contribution to reduction of carriage of bacteria and viruses on the hands. However, the mainstay for reduction in transmission of bacteria and viruses remains regular washing of hands with soap and water. There has not been a trial of the use of hand sanitisers in public places such as train stations so there is no evidence for how effective an intervention like this might be. The Director of the London office of Public Health England and health advisor to the Mayor of London will raise the issue with Transport for London.