New dates announced for postponed APPG inquiry

The remaining two sessions of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry inquiry into the role of cleaning and hygiene during the Covid-19 pandemic will take place on 11 October and 18 October (both Tuesdays), it has been announced.

The APPG inquiry, entitled Embedding Effective Hygiene for a Resilient UK, held its first session earlier this month but the final two sessions were postponed following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for the duration of the national period of mourning.

Industry members are again being encouraged to watch the remaining sessions, with both starting at 10am.

Anyone interested in watching either of the Zoom sessions is invited to email compsec@britishcleaningcouncil.org by 6pm on the day before the session they want to attend.  Please apply separately for each session.

Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. A Zoom invite will be emailed to attendees ahead of the sessions.

The APPG comprises 53 MPs and two Members of the House of Lords and it is being supported by the industry body for the entire sector and APPG secretariat, the British Cleaning Council (BCC) and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).

The inquiry is examining what was successful and what was not from the national approach to cleaning and hygiene during the pandemic to ensure lessons can be learnt. These will be taken forward to increase disease resilience to current common infections and help inform the UK’s response to any similar future public health emergency.

The review aims to produce a report with policy recommendations which will feed into the national UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

The upcoming sessions are structured as follows:

• Tuesday 11 October, from 10am: Evidence from contractors who delivered cleaning services at the time, alongside suppliers and manufacturers of cleaning and hygiene products which were very much in demand during the pandemic.
• Tuesday 18 October, from 10am: Evidence from owners and landlords of a variety of buildings who had to deliver high standards of cleaning and hygiene during the pandemic, in order to protect the public.

BCC Chairman Jim Melvin said: “We are pleased to see the APPG inquiry resume and look forward to what we believe will be two incredibly important and insightful sessions. I would encourage industry members to take the time to watch the discussions.

“These sessions must play a key role in ensuring that lessons are learnt nationally from the role of cleaning and hygiene during the current pandemic, so that the UK is ready if and, undoubtedly when, Coronavirus variants or other viruses return in the future.

“These sessions will give the cleaning and hygiene industry the opportunity to discuss its vital role keeping people heathy, safe and well and give its expert opinions to MPs on how we ensure that cleanliness and hygiene become and remain a top, national priority going forward.

“As such, the inquiry is a vital stage in our campaign for more recognition for the crucial work of staff as frontline workers and the importance of the industry.”