§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)Despite earlier events, I rise to present a petition organised by the Association of Master Bakers and presented to me late yesterday by its president. The petition contains 15,000 signatures of owners, staff and customers of independent bakeries in England and Wales.
The petition declares that the future of many small food shops is being put at risk by the decision of many supermarket groups to trade on Sundays to the detriment of the variety, vitality and viability of traditional shopping areas in towns and villages in England and Wales, to the detriment of customer choice and to the detriment of employment prospects.
The petitioners therefore request that this honourable House of Commons debate the future of food retailing in England and Wales and take account of all relevant social, environmental and economic factors when debating the reform of the Shops Act 1950.
And the petitioners, remaining the loyal subjects of Her Majesty the Queen, offer their humble respect to the House of Commons.
I beg leave to present the petition.
§ To lie upon the Table.