§ Mr. Ray Powell accordingly presented a Bill to provide for certain descriptions of shops in England and Wales to be open for trade on Sunday, subject to their being registered with the local authority; to impose a general prohibition on the opening on Sunday of other shops, extending this prohibition to certain business premises which on week-days are open for the service of customers; to provide protection for persons employed in or for the purposes of a shop which is, or is to be, registered for Sunday opening, where they have conscientious or other objections to working on Sunday; to make consequential and other repeals in the Shops Act 1950; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 21 February and to be printed. [Bill 56.]
§ Mr. Bob Cryer (Bradford, South)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The right hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold) has always intimated that, if a clear decision was reached over the question of Sunday trading, she would be prepared to take action. A clear decision has now been made. I therefore hope that you will 321 encourage both the right hon. Lady and the Attorney-General to come to the House and make statements to the effect that legal action will be taken against those people who are flouting the law on Sunday trading.
§ Mr. SpeakerIn order that no one outside the House is misled about this matter, it is right that I should remind the whole House that the motion was one seeking leave to bring in a Bill.
§ Mr. Alun Michael (Cardiff, South and Penarth)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. If I heard you aright during the course of the presentation of his Bill by my hon. Friend the Member of Ogmore (Mr. Powell), you commented that, by voting against the Bill, a Member would be unable to continue as a sponsor. Obviously one accepts your ruling on that matter, as on all other matters. May I point out, however, that both I and my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-East (Mr. Turner), who are vice-chairman and chairman respectively of the Cooperative group of Members of Parliament, acted as tellers in order to give the House the opportunity to test the wish of the House. I hope that the Government will have heard that voice clearly and loudly today.
§ Mr. SpeakerAll I can say to the hon. Member is that, if he voted against the motion, he cannot then say that he is for it. [Interruption.] The whole House will draw its own conclusions.
§ Mr. Bruce Grocott (The Wrekin )On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As you rightly said, what the House has decided today is simply to give leave for the Bill to be introduced. However, in view of the overwhelming majority in favour of the Bill—indeed, the complete absence of any significant opposition to it —and bearing in mind the fact that only about six or eight weeks of this Parliament are left, may I ask you whether discussions could take place that would enable the Government to introduce legislation, for which they now know that they have the overwhelming support of the House, so that the Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Ogmore (Mr. Powell) can become law as rapidly as possible?
§ Mr. SpeakerIn view of what the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) has just said, the case is somewhat weakened.