Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2020 to Question 33584 on Horticulture: Coronavirus, what steps her Department plans to take in response to discussions with the Horticultural Trades Association; and whether garden centres will be allowed to re-open during the covid-19 lockdown.

The Government is aware of the challenges currently faced by garden centres and plant nurseries. We continue to work closely with representatives from the horticulture supply chain, including the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) to understand what short-term and long-term support the sector needs.

The Government is keeping the situation on Garden Centres under review, but concluded last week that it was too early to ease any restrictions on such retail environments. We will continue to work closely with the representatives from the horticulture supply chain to understand what short-term and long-term support the sector as a whole needs. We are ready to work with the industry to respond to emerging issues quickly and effectively.