§ 8. Mr. Simon CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account he has taken of the level of support shown by the public on Sunday shopping day; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Peter Lloyd)The Government introduced the Sunday Trading Bill on 19 November. It contains three options for reforming the law on Sunday trading. Hon. Members will take into account the popularity of Sunday shopping as well as many other matters when they come to choose among them.
§ Mr. CoombsDoes my hon. Friend accept that the message from Sunday shopping day was that the overwhelming majority of people in Britain want the issue of Sunday shopping resolved in this Session of Parliament by the House and the other place? Does he further agree that the proposals in the Bill under the general aegis of the Keep Sunday Special campaign are too close to the present regime of the law to work, and that what the population said they wanted on Sunday shopping day was a thoroughgoing dose of deregulation to get this sorted out?
§ Mr. LloydI am sure that the overwhelming number of hon. Members and those outside want Sunday sorted out, but which way is of course a matter for debate on the Bill. I am quite certain that my hon. Friend will argue his last point vigorously during those debates.
§ Mr. CryerUntil the legal position is resolved, is it not true that, by opening on Sunday, the large stores are actually breaking the law and encouraging others to do likewise? As most of the questions to the Government today have been about breaking the law and catching criminals, is it not disgraceful that they have not asked local authorities to prosecute those stores that are continuing to break the law and flout the criminal justice system in quite a disgraceful way? Is it not an inducement to commit crime? Is there any connection between the Government's inertia and the provision by firms like B and Q of generous contributions to the Tory party?
§ Mr. LloydTwo things are perfectly clear about the present law. First, it is the local authorities' job to enforce it; secondly, it has been widely breached. It was breached by many small shops long before it began to be breached by large ones.
§ Dame Elaine Kellett-BowmanWill my hon. Friend bear in mind the tens of millions of people who showed that they want Sunday to remain special by not turning out on Sunday shopping day?
§ Mr. LloydEveryone, whatever their point of view, can respect those who do not want to shop on Sundays for staying at home. Nor is there any question but that, from all points of view, Sunday is a special day. The questions are: what sort of special day and how far should the law prescribe it?