Ministers will not enforce social distancing in supermarkets despite a wave of panic buying and hoarding in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the environment secretary has said.
George Eustice said Italy had tried restricting the number of people in shops but it was “counterproductive” as “they just had hundreds of people huddled together at the entrance”.
It comes amid reports that the government is about to place London into lockdown, with claims that police could be asked to guard supermarkets as large queues form outside stores and items like toilet roll and pasta sell out.
Labour’s Bill Esterson asked the government to implement “enforced social distancing” in supermarkets, arguing overcrowding was “undoubtedly adding to the spread of the coronavirus”.
But at Defra questions in the Commons, Eustice said: “We will not do that measure. It was something that was done in Italy with a restriction on the number of people in stores and what they found was they just had hundreds of people huddled together at the entrance to the store, and it’s counter-productive.”
The environment secretary stressed there was “significant resilience in our food supply chain” and that there is not a shortage of food.
He said: “There isn’t a shortage of food, the challenge that we’ve had is getting food to shelves in a time when people have been purchasing more.
Eustice also appeared to confirm that supermarket staff would be on a list of key workers whose children would still be allowed to go to school to let their parents continue working.
Replying to Labour’s Jim McMahon, the environment secretary said: “Later today the government will be announcing those jobs defined as key workers.
“But I can assure him we fully recognise that over 25% of staff generally working in the food supply chain have children of school age.
“That’s recognised and something that will be reflected when that list is published.”
Eustice said the government was working with supermarkets to ensure food banks that are vital for families who cannot afford to buy enough supplies remain stocked.
Ministers are also looking at relaxing competition law to ensure supermarkets can collaborate to ensure supply for food banks, stores and home deliveries.
“On the issue of food banks, as I said, we are in discussions with supermarkets about this. We have also had discussions with them around competition law and will take whatever action is necessary to ensure they can jointly plan their approach to the matters,” he said.
“For the most vulnerable, we are working on proposals which my colleagues in the MHCLG will be announcing shortly.”