Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fairness of allowing garden centres, classed as ‘essential’ retailers, to sell Christmas gift items during the new national COVID-19 restrictions in England from 5 November, while competing independent ‘non-essential’ retailers will have to close.

The Government recognises this will be a challenging time for any business which have been asked to close.

All shops can continue to offer home delivery to customers and click and collect services. Click and collect services allow for doorstep pick-up, which is safer than shopping indoors, in potentially poorly-ventilated spaces.