The Association of Convenience Stores (AC) has submitted evidence to an inquiry launched by the Environmental Audit Committee into the regulation of hand car washes, calling for better enforcement of existing regulations and the consideration of a licensing scheme.

In the submission, ACS encourages the Environmental Audit Committee to consider better enforcement of existing environmental regulations and a clampdown on hand car washes flouting employment regulations. ACS endorsed the Committee exploring the introduction of a licensing system as long as this did not place burdens on the majority of compliant businesses.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The hand car wash market is comprised of many small operators on car parks and pieces of vacant land, and they often fail to comply with environmental regulations and can have a complete disregard for employment law.

“We encourage the committee to consider how existing regulations could be more effectively enforced and how in practice a licensing system could tackle illegal hand car wash operators.”