Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, for the purposes of COVID-19 measures, what guidance and advice is available to shops and retail outlets that have essential and non-essential goods for sale.

The Prime Minister has given important instructions to enforce social distancing to reduce the chance of transmission. To help this vital effort, he has announced the closure of all shops selling non-essential goods.

The Government has not asked all businesses to shut – indeed it is important for business to carry on - and comprehensive guidance on the exceptions can be found on gov.uk: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close) Only some non-essential shops and public venues have been asked to close.

The UK Government, working with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, has published guidance on social distancing, which it continues to update to provide greater clarity for employers and employees on these measures which can be found on gov.uk: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/social-distancing-coronavirus.htm

Businesses that do have people onsite should ensure that employees and customers are able to follow Public Health England guidelines including, where possible, maintaining a two metre distance from others. This guidance can also be found on gov.uk: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-coronavirus-covid-19)

In addition to this, the Prime Minister has said we will take every step that we can to ensure that businesses are protected; this includes essential businesses experiencing difficulties. There is specific business advice available; the first port of call for advice and guidance should be the dedicated gov.uk pages referenced above. There is a dedicated Business Support Helpline (0300 456 3565) which has also been strengthened so businesses can speak directly to an adviser.