On public July 27

intended to make face coverings compulsory after Boris Johnson said they were looking at “stricter” rules.

The senior Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Sunday he did not believe they should be mandatory and that it was better to “trust people’s common sense”.

However, during a visit to the London Ambulance Service on Monday, the Prime Minister offered the clearest signal he was going down the route of compulsion, saying the UK Government was looking at the “tools of enforcement”.

Ahead of Tuesday’s announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a No 10 spokesman said: “There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus.

“The Prime Minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24.”

The move will bring England into line with Scotland, where face coverings are already mandatory in shops.

The UK Government has been urging people to wear face coverings in confined spaces such as shops since early May and they have already been made compulsory on public transport in England since mid-June.

The regulations will be made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, with a maximum fine of reduced to £50 if within 14 days.

Enforcement of the regulations will be the responsibility of the police.

While shop workers will be asked to encourage compliance, retailers and businesses will not be expected to enforce them.

As is the case on public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the Government needed to issue detailed guidance on the new requirement “as soon as possible”.

“Businesses need clarity on the approach to the wearing of face coverings that is consistent and supported by public health evidence,” said BCC coexecutive director Claire Walker.

“Updated guidance, including on enforcement, should be issued swiftly so firms can maintain their Covid-secure status and continue their operations successfully.”

For Labour, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said ministers needed to explain why it had taken them so long to act.

“The Government has been slow and muddled again over face coverings,” he said. “Given the Government’s own guidance issued on May 11 advised in favour of face masks, many will ask why yet again have ministers been slow in making a decision in this pandemic, and why it’ll take another 11 days before these new guidelines to come into force.” £100 – it is paid