Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Supermarkets: Good Hygiene and Social Distancing

Tuesday 19 May 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial efforts include working with retailers and Public Health England to establish best practice and publish guidance on social distancing and hygiene.
  • The minister praised key workers in the food supply chain for their efforts in ensuring the nation remains fed during the pandemic.
  • Supermarket retailers are commended for implementing social distancing measures within hours of lockdown, providing lessons for other businesses.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Evennett Con
Context

The question arises from concerns about maintaining health standards in public spaces during the pandemic.

Question

What steps he is taking to promote (a) good hygiene and (b) social distancing in supermarkets. I am concerned about ensuring staff and customer safety as businesses reopen during the pandemic.

Answer from George Eustice

From the outset, we have worked extensively with retailers and Public Health England to establish best practice and publish guidance on social distancing and hygiene, to keep staff and customers safe. Industry has adapted effectively and quickly, and measures introduced include signage and floor markings to help customers maintain distance, screens at tills and limits on the number of customers in store.

Answered
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Q2 Ian Levy
Benefits & Welfare Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The question comes from a visit to a local supermarket, noting the implementation of safety precautions during the pandemic.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that as measures are relaxed and we move forward, we must all be aware and mindful while out shopping, to protect not only ourselves but the staff, who have been providing an invaluable service during this pandemic?

Answer from George Eustice

I take the opportunity to pay tribute to all those key workers working throughout our food supply chain, from those working on farms to those working in logistics and food manufacturing, and of course those working in our supermarkets. They have helped to ensure that the nation has remained fed, and the work they have done has been truly phenomenal. I also agree with my hon. Friend that as we seek to evolve the current restrictions and move back to something closer to life as normal, we all have a great deal that we can learn from the measures that have been put in place by supermarkets—and also in factory environments by our food processors.

Partly answered

How: Paying Tribute, Learning From Measures

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Q3 David Evennett Con
Business & Trade
Context

The question arises from positive observations of local Sainsbury's stores implementing safety measures.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that other businesses will be able to learn lessons from the actions taken by supermarkets to ensure good hygiene and social distancing?

Answer from George Eustice

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right: our supermarket retailers acted within hours—certainly within 24 hours—to implement social distancing when lockdown occurred. They acted swiftly, and we have learned a lot along the way, in conjunction with Public Health England. I can tell my right hon. Friend that the experiences of our supermarkets and food manufacturers have been shared extensively with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as it has developed safer-working protocols for other parts of the economy.

Answered
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