Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to distribute protective masks for disabled extremely vulnerable passengers on services provided by Transport for London; and if he will make a statement.

Last month we made it mandatory for passengers to wear a face covering when travelling on public transport in England, unless they are exempt for health, disability or other reasons. We expect people to bring their own coverings and it is not the responsibility of public transport operators to provide them for their passengers. Face coverings are available to purchase at many retailers and public transport hubs, whilst there is advice on the gov.uk website which describes in detail how people can make their own (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering).

To help introduce this policy, we have distributed over two million face coverings which were donated to the Government. These were distributed to local transport providers, National Rail and maritime operators across the country for use by passengers and the transport workforce. In London, TfL has also been helping their customers adjust to the new requirement by temporarily distributing face masks at targeted Tube and bus stations.