Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020, if he will publish the scientific advice on the effect of closing (a) nail and beauty salons, (b) hair salons and (c) barbers on the transmission of covid-19.

Throughout the pandemic, the Government has listened carefully to the views of the scientific community, in particular the information from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-groups when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the pandemic.

The evidence that is considered by SAGE and used to support the Government’s response to COVID-19 is shared on GOV.UK at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/scientific-evidence-supporting-the-government-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19

Close contact services including hairdressing and beauty services are associated with an increased risk of transmission of the virus. Scientists have made it clear that the more you break the chains of transmission the more you reduce spread of the virus. Therefore, the current restrictions are in place to limit the number of interactions that people have and therefore reduce the risk spread.