To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the rationale for keeping garden centres closed; (ii) the rationale of keeping smaller, independent garden centres closed, even for click and collect services, while larger multinational stores selling similar products are able to remain fully open; and (iii) what conversations he has had with the Department for the Economy regarding this issue.

On 1 April 2021 the Executive agreed a range of relaxations which came into effect on 12 April including the reopening of Garden Centres and Plant Nurseries. As with other businesses, they were subject to the requirement to operate safely and to follow health and safety law and guidance and to take measures to keep staff and customers safe.

On 15 April 2021 the Executive agreed that from 30 April all retail businesses were permitted to reopen.

On 2 March 2021 the Executive published its planned pathway out of the current COVID-19 restrictions. The Pathway is supported by a revised process for a 4-week Executive review cycle. The new process also permits a more urgent consideration of proposals from Departments deemed to have urgent or compelling reasons to fall outside the four week review process.

In this new process, the management of the changes to the restrictions regulations moved to the Executive Office (TEO).

TEO will now hold the lead responsibility and operational management of the process leading to Executive decisions on the ongoing need for restrictions and the requirement to amend the regulations.

This responsibility includes receiving and managing all proposals from Executive departments, management of the decision making process and facilitating consultation with departments on the drafting of amendment regulations. This work is supported by a Cross-Departmental Working Group, chaired by the Director of the TEO COVID-19 Taskforce team with membership from all 9 Departments and key stakeholders, including local government and PSNI.