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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling pubs and bars to host music performances from the 4 July 2020 in accordance with covid-19 social distancing guidelines.

Following my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement, all pubs, restaurants, bars, and cafes in England can begin to offer services to customers from Saturday 4 July as long as they follow the safer working guidelines.

Guidance is clear that venues should not permit indoor performances, including drama, comedy and music, to take place in front of a live audience.

Indoor performances or loud music can increase the risk of aerosol transmission from either the performer(s) or their audience.