Freedom of Information request on face coverings in education
Published 28 May 2021
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-26-april-2021/freedom-of-information-request-on-face-coverings-in-education
26th April 2021 FOI 21/394
Dear,
Thank you for your email dated 10 April where you asked: “I would like to know if a risk assessment has ever been undertaken to establish the possible medical, physical and psychological harms of a child under the age of 16 wearing a face mask/Face covering, all day at school?? I would like to know if a risk assessment has ever been undertaken to establish the possible medical, physical and psychological harms of a child under the age of 16 wearing a Face mask/Face covering, for any length of time??”
We have assumed you are referring to the Department for Education (DfE guidance on face coverings in education. MHRA is the UK regulator of medical devices, medicines and blood components for transfusion. Face coverings including those used in education are not medical devices. We do not regulate these products and therefore we cannot answer your questions on this occasion.
You may wish to Contact the Department for Education (DfE) - GOV.UK who wrote the guidance.
For your information, we have published guidance on some of the different types of equipment being used during this pandemic, and what the requirements are: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulatory-status-of-equipment-being-used-to-help-prevent-coronavirus-covid-19
If you have a query about the information provided, please reply to this email.
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After that, if you remain dissatisfied, you may write to the Information Commissioner at; The Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF They will make a decision on whether or not we have interpreted the FOIA correctly in handling your request.
Yours sincerely
MHRA Customer Service Centre
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU