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Car Washes: Licensing

Question for Department for Business and Trade

UIN 21371, tabled on 19 December 2024

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a licensing regime for hand carwashes.

Answered on

9 January 2025

The Hand Car Wash sector is one of Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement (ODLME) priority areas. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) have taken a proactive stance working closely with the Responsible Hand Car Wash scheme and Nottingham Trent University to understand the issues and maximise opportunities to address them within current legislation.

As the scheme has concluded, the Government is assessing these evaluations to understand how both to bolster compliance, and support sector-led initiatives. The Home Office and enforcement bodies, such as the GLAA, continue to support industry initiatives aimed at improving standards.