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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether photography businesses specialising in pets can continue to operate during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown provided that the business is conducted outdoors, with only the pet owner and the photographer present and ensuring social distancing is observed.

England’s new national restrictions closures guidance from Cabinet Office can be found here. This states ‘photography studios’ must close. However, it also states that businesses that provide services (rather than goods) are not required to close, unless listed in section 2 of the guide.

The Cabinet Office’s guidance states that Government cannot provide comments on individual cases of whether or not a business is permitted to open. It is for each business to assess whether they are a business required to close having considered the guidance and regulations.