This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition garden centres that sell vegetable and fruit plants remain open (covid19)
Garden centres across the country have 1000’s of vegetable and fruit plants ready for sale. But can’t sell them as they are classed as non-essential “shops” and are therefore forced to closed at this time. These plants will now be binned. It’s a unnecessary waste.
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The question is - are garden centres NOT essential? Are they not selling “grocery” products?
In these unprecedented times, can these centres be re-classified as a grocer, selling food products. After all it’s food just in an earlier cycle of growth!
To grow our own food is not only good for our mental health it is also an answer to possible food shortages later on this year. How can we predict the same fresh food availability in 6 months that we have now taking into account global restrictions.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
We can't publish petitions when the request is something that's already happening or something that has been announced since you started your petition.
We think your petition is covered by Government or Parliament action already. If you'd like something else, you could start a new petition clearly explaining what it is.
Since you started your petition the Government has added garden centres and plant nurseries to the list of businesses that are permitted to open: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/
Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.