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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's timescale is for re-opening (a) car and (b) motorhome and caravan showrooms as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are reduced.

On 11th May the Government published its COVID-19 recovery strategy, which sets out a roadmap to a phased recovery. This included the setting up of five ministerial-led taskforces. The taskforces will help oversee the development of guidance for reopening businesses, to ensure they can operate in a safe way for employees and customers, as long as the evidence shows it is safe to do so.

In step two of the roadmap, the Government has considered the reopening of non-essential retail. Updated guidance for shops and branches was published on 25 May after consultation with businesses, unions leaders, Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. The updated guidance takes into account the best practice demonstrated by the many retailers which have been allowed to remain open and have applied social distancing measures in store.

Showrooms are now able to reopen from 1 June as long as they can adhere to the social distancing guidelines.