§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that his predecessor in office, when the Shops Bill was being discussed last year, promised that special provision would be made to enable Wales and Monmouthshire to give effect to local opinion on Sunday trading; and whether he is now in a position to say when and how that promise is to be redeemed?
§ Mr. McKENNARepresentations were made to my predecessor in connection with the Sunday closing provisions of the Shops Bill, to the effect that the exemptions allowed under those provisions went further than the existing custom in Wales required, and he promised that if the Government went on with that part of the Bill a special provision should be inserted to safeguard the position in Wales. As my hon. Friend, however, is aware, the Sunday provisions were subsequently dropped, and therefore the question of a special provision for Wales did not arise. I am not aware of any other promise in the matter.