Supermarket restriction to sell ‘essential items’ only a principle of ‘fair play’ says First Minister

Supermarkets in Wales will not be allowed to sell ‘non-essential’ items during the two week firebreak lockdown with the aim to level the playing field with small and high street stores, the first minister has announced.

As part of the lockdown, which starts at 6pm this evening, all non-essential shops, leisure and hospitality will be required to close until Monday 9 November.

However the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has raised concerns about the move creating an unfair advantage if supermarkets are able to continue selling non-essential items.

They said at a time when small businesses on the high street are forced to close, it would be an “unacceptable advantage” for supermarkets particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

Speaking in a Senedd committee on Thursday, Conservative MS Russell George: “In regards to which businesses are required to close, in the previous lockdown there were businesses such as clothing, hardware shops were required to close.

“Businesses such as Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, were selling those items of clothing and hardware, and it felt very wrong and disproportionate to the small businesses.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “I think in the first set of restrictions people were reasonably understanding of the fact that supermarkets didn’t close all the things that they may have needed to.

“I don’t think people will be as understanding this time, and we will be making it clear to supermarkets they are only able to open those parts of their business that provide essential goods to people – and that will not include some of the things that Russell George has mentioned that other people are prevented from selling.”

“So we will make sure that there is a more level playing field in those next two weeks.”

This afternoon’s Welsh Government briefing saw the first minister face a number questions over the decision to restrict the likes of supermarkets from selling non-essential items.

However Mr Drakeford stated it was a “simple matter of fair play.”

He said: “We are requiring many hundreds of small businesses to close on the high street right across Wales.”

“We cannot do that and then allow supermarkets to sell goods that those people are unable to sell.”

“We are looking to minimise the amount of time that people spend out of their homes during this two week period. This is not a period to be browsing around supermarkets looking for non essential goods.”

Asked by ITV over accusations that he has announced the ban on non-essential goods is due to his form of politics being “all about micromanaging and favouring restrictions and regulations,” the first minister said such comments are “plainly nonsensical.”

Mr Drakeford said: “I’m not prepared to treat small businesses in Wales in one way, requiring them to close – they are not able to earn a living during these two weeks as part of our national efforts.

“Simply because another sector in society are more powerful, are bigger, that they think that they can be treated differently. It is a straightforward matter of fairness.

“We are in this together here Wales. No individual and no organisation is above the efforts that we are all required to me.

“That includes people who may believe that they themselves are beyond the law and includes those organisations that are large and powerful.

“We treat everybody the same. The obligations on every one of us are the same, that’s the way we will be doing it in Wales”

With the ‘fairness’ argument being made, we asked for detail on what action is being taken for internet retailers to limit their offer, and also with hospitality closing would alcohol sales be stopped in supermarkets to ensure fair play.

The first minister replied: “Alcohol sales in supermarkets are already restricted and we’ve introduced rules there that apply in Wales that don’t apply anywhere else.

“The supermarket sector is a very mature, a very responsible sector, it will want to do the right thing. It’s demonstrated that in the way that it implements our alcohol rules here in Wales, we have every confidence that it will do the right thing in relation to the sale of non essential goods.

“The Welsh Government doesn’t have the powers to do things about internet sales. That is a UK wide responsibility that only the UK Government can discharge.

“I’ve had many conversations with the retail consortium here in Wales before the pandemic about the unfairness of the system in which internet businesses are treated in one way and high street businesses are treated in another way.

“Previously we made the case to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to change the rules for online businesses so that they contribute their fair share to the national effort in terms of taxation, in terms of the way they trade alongside other businesses, but those are not decisions that lie in the hands of the Welsh Government.”

You can watch the full briefing and Q&A on the below link:

Cynhadledd i’r Wasg byw gyda’r Prif Weinidog Mark Drakeford | Live Press Conference with First Minister Mark Drakeford https://t.co/z6DGKawzfx

— Welsh Government (@WelshGovernment) October 23, 2020