Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to review the guidelines on restrictions in place for close contact services during the covid-19 outbreak.

Following my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on 23 June, some close contact services such as hairdressers, pubs and restaurants will be able to reopen on 4 July, provided they adhere to the safer working guidelines. We have published guidance for these sectors on 23 June to provide ways these businesses can ensure a safe reopening.

As some examples, hairdressers and barbers should wear visors as additional protection, use an appointment only policy, avoid overlapping appointments, distance customer seating appropriately, clean thoroughly after each client, prepare equipment in advance to reduce movement in spaces, and screen customers ahead of the appointment to check they do not have symptoms.

We have been taking a phased, cautious approach to reopening our economy, so that we do not risk a second peak of the virus. We will continue to work with those industries that are still closed to understand how best we can reopen them safely, at the right time, guided by the science.