Cut Taxes on Plants

The RHS said people on lower incomes were less likely to use their gardens
A petition calling for a tax cut on ornamental garden plants and seeds has been launched by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

The society said the move would help people to "green up" their gardens, and combat climate change.

RHS director general Inga Grimsey said research showed people on lower incomes were less likely to use their gardens.

She said RHS Wisley, in Surrey, sells plants worth £5m each year. The VAT on top, paid by consumers, was £875,000.

According to the RHS, plants are the best way of trapping CO2 in the ground, and the more plants and trees there are, the more CO2 will be taken out of the atmosphere.