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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions has he had with representatives from the British Retail Consortium on the potential risks of easing of the lockdown.

Ministers and officials have regular engagement with a large number of businesses, representative organisations and trade unions across all sectors including the British Retail Consortium, in advance of easing the lockdown.

As this work is complex and multifaceted, we are working with industry, business representative organisations, unions, Public Health England, and the Health and Safety Executive to consider what might be needed to adapt workplaces to further improve the safety of these places and thereby minimise the risk of transmission as much as possible.

I host a weekly call with non-food retailers and business representative organisations including the British Retail Consortium with the most recent call taking place on 30^th April. The next one is scheduled for 7^th May.

We welcome the publication of jointly agreed advice by the British Retail Consortium and the Union for Shop Distributive and Allied Workers on the recommended implementation of social distancing practices for non-food retail stores.