Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory (a) registration and (b) licensing for (i) hairdressers and (ii) barbershops.

We have no current plans for additional regulation for hairdressers and barbers, but we remain open to evidence. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration remains voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are subject to a range of existing requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation. It is important to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions, and the introduction of additional regulation would need to be carefully considered.