Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reasons garden centres that have taken steps to comply with social distancing measures are not allowed to re-open for business during the covid-19 lockdown; and if he will make a statement.

Garden centres are being asked to close along with many other retail premises to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. The Government has set up five tests that must be met before the lockdown measures can be lifted. These consider NHS capacity, death rates, transmission rates, availability of PPE, and avoidance of a second peak of the virus.

It is positive to see the emerging thoughts on how businesses such as garden centres can reopen safely – we will need to continue to work together on how easing measures could work when it is the right time to do so. Online retail is still open and encouraged, and postal and delivery services will continue to run.