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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that non-essential shops and food and beverage outlets at airports are able to effectively operate within the airside and international travel environment.

On 11 May, the Government published its COVID-19 recovery strategy which sets out a roadmap to a phased recovery. As per my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement of the five ministerial-led taskforces which form part of this recovery effort, BEIS is responsible for two of the five ministerial-led taskforces: Pubs and restaurants and Non-essential retail (including salons). Phase 2 of the approach will look at re-opening closed businesses in these sectors and the taskforces will be working closely with key stakeholders to begin reopening retail businesses in phases from 1 June.

These taskforces will aim to look at various issues which impact the closed businesses and we will develop plans for how and when closed sectors can reopen safely in due time, guided by the science and experts.