Christmas Day (Hansard, 2 December 1999)

§ The Lord Bishop of Oxford
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that Christmas Day remains a day of value in the life of the nation, both as the celebration of the birth of Christ and as a shared day of rest.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)
My Lords, it is clear that Christmas Day continues to be of great importance to the people of this country, for both religious and family reasons. In a diverse multicultural society it can, of course, be celebrated in many different ways. I believe that the present legal framework, which has effectively remained unchanged for many years, is more than adequate to enable the special nature of Christmas to be preserved.

§ The Lord Bishop of Oxford
My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. Does he share my concern that a major national food retailer is intending, in the course of time, to open 1,000 or more small convenient shops, employing more than 10,000 people and that the shops will open on Christmas Day with, as I understand it, no opt-out clause? That will undermine the general principle of a shared day of rest and enjoyment.

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I recognise the right reverend Prelate's concerns and those of others about the decision by a supermarket last year to open one or two of its stores on Christmas Day. I am grateful to him for the information he has drawn to our attention this afternoon. However, to date the Home Office has received very few complaints about this or other matters relating to shop opening on Christmas Day. As noble Lords are aware, that is entirely within the law unless it falls on a Sunday.

§ Lord Elton
My Lords, will the Minister accept that that is one complaint? Does he agree that experience of legislation on Sunday trading has shown, without doubt, that changes in commercial practice entirely alter the character of the day and the ability of families of all denominations to get together on that day? Will not this change begin the process with Christmas Day that has been evident for years on Sunday? Should it not be checked by legislation?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, the noble Lord makes some interesting comments, as a contribution 908 to what could be a new area of debate. I am not convinced that our Sundays have changed so dramatically, as the noble Lord suggests. I quote figures from a survey by Healey & Baker, who are well respected in the field. They suggest that, while one in three people shop on a Sunday at least once a month, 45 per cent never shop on a Sunday and 20 per cent are strongly morally opposed to Sunday shopping. So there is clearly a divergence and diversity of views. Some people hold, and will continue to hold, Sunday as a special day. I do and I am sure the noble Lord does. All those with strong family commitments value the day for that and for its Christian purpose.

§ Lord Cope of Berkeley
My Lords, I should like to register one more complaint.

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for the complaint, I shall register it, take it away and investigate it.

§ The Earl of Longford
My Lords, is it not time that we stopped talking all this nonsense about a multicultural society? It is no more multicultural than it ever was. People come here; I am an immigrant from Ireland. We immigrants are a minority. We ought to stop talking about it. Only a handful of people belong to a different culture.

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I defer to the noble Earl with his infinite wisdom on such matters, but the facts of the situation speak for themselves. We live in a multicultural, multifaith society and communities. That is the reality. We should live and work with it, celebrate it and enjoy it. It is a strength of our society and a strength of the diverse communities in which we live.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, will the Minister confirm that, under the Bank Holidays Act 1871, no employer can compel anyone to work on Christmas Day or any other bank holiday?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I confess that I am not intimately conversant with that piece of legislation. Perhaps I should be and no doubt the noble Lord is. Working on Sundays is very much a matter of contract. The contract is the document on which employees should rely powerfully. If there are breaches of contract by employers, then employees are quite entitled to take those issues to industrial tribunals to have them properly resolved in their interest.

§ Lord Davies of Coity
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that in the 1980s I represented shop workers when the question of Sunday trading was debated in both Houses? It was the party opposite who wanted to abandon the 1952 shops legislation. It brought in deregulation by default because this House was opposed to the system. However, does my noble friend agree that, although there may not be too many complaints from workers in the industry about 909 working on Christmas Day, it might be the result of fear over their security of employment and possible promotion?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, the noble Lord makes an important point about the relationship between employee and employer, and it is one of which we should take careful note. But the legislation on Sunday trading has worked well and appears to enjoy broad support. We have not received many complaints about it. We must always ensure that those who are in a weak and vulnerable position are properly protected by the law.

§ Baroness Strange
My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that we have celebrated Christmas very successfully for the past two millennia—taking the long-term view—and that it would be appropriate to continue so doing for the next millennium?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I entirely agree with the noble Baroness.

Baroness Young
My Lords, does the Minister agree that perhaps the reason that there have not been many complaints about Sunday trading is that very few shops were open last Christmas and none of us realised how many might be open in future which would affect the day? Will the noble Lord take into consideration the effect that this would have on people who would be required to work on Christmas Day? Does he accept that many of us who are unhappy about Sunday trading believe that the character of at least some towns has changed as a result of this activity on Sunday?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I believe that the situation is one with which most people in society are generally happy. I accept that not everyone is happy with the legislation. That much was clear when the 1994 legislation came into being and there was a wide and divergent debate about it. I believe that most people accept that Sunday is a special day and Christmas Day particularly so. I do not seek to become Minister for Christmas Day, but I shall play my part to ensure that it is protected in a way that fits with the traditions of our country.