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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether car washes are permitted to operate during the covid-19 outbreak.

The guidance on working safely during COVID-19 is aimed at working environments, not whether a specific business can reopen.

The guidance is designed to help employers, workers and the self-employed understand how to work safely, including what employers need to think about to adapt a workplace to manage risk in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

We know that every organisation is different. Whether hand or automatic car washes, employers can use the guidance to create specific plans for their business in consultation with those who are affected by their operations, including workers and contractors. Plans will depend on the nature of your business, such as the sector, and the details of your workforce and operations.

Whether a business must remain closed varies according to which part of the UK you are operating in. For England the rules are set out on the gov.uk website. The website also includes links to information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.