Following the easing of lockdown, Harriett Baldwin calls on the Government to consider relaxing retail sector opening hours to enable the high street to better compete with the internet.
Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)
I thank the Secretary of State for allowing garden centres to reopen from tomorrow; that is very welcome in West Worcestershire. As he thinks about allowing more of the retail sector to open, is he considering relaxing the rules to allow a levelling up of our high street to the same sort of opening hours as we have on the internet?
Alok Sharma
I, too, welcome the fact that garden centres will be open from tomorrow. It will be an opportunity for us to continue to restart our economy. My hon. Friend makes an important point. I will continue to keep the situation under review.