Review of Shops Act, 1950 (Departmental Letters) (Hansard, 5 February 1964)

§ 1950 Mr. Brooke

Yes. My Department has today issued a letter to a number of national organisations in the following terms:

Home Office,

Whitehall,

London, S.W.1.

5th February, 1964.

Dear Sir,

Review of the Shops Act

In reply to a Question in the House of Commons on 23rd January, 1964, the Home Secretary said that he proposed to invite the up-to-date views of interested organisations, including representatives of shopkeepers, trade unions, consumers and local authorities, as to the need, if any, for further legislation on 173W shop closing hours. He would be glad to have the views of your organisation on the questions posed in paragraphs 2 to 7 below.

2. It has been represented to the Home Secretary that there is a demand for greater flexibility in the hours during which a shop may remain open, and that this can best be achieved by the repeal of all the provisions of Part I of the Shops Act, which relates to hours of closing. Would you favour this course?

3. Another suggestion which has been made is that the requirement in Section 1 of the Act to close a shop on one half-day each week should either be repealed or modified so as to enable the shopkeeper to choose his own half-day. It is argued that this would facilitate the introduction of a five-day working week. Some retailers at present are prevented from closing all day on Monday by the existence of early closing orders specifying some day other than Monday for the half-day. The statutory requirement in Part II of the Act for a half-day holiday for employees would not be affected by these proposals. If you do not advocate the total repeal of Part I, would you favour either the repeal of Section 1 or a modification giving greater freedom of choice to the retailer?

4. It has been represented to the Home Secretary that the smaller traders should be allowed greater freedom as regards the evening closing hour than the trader with a larger labour force. If you do not advocate the total repeal of Part I, would you favour the exemption from the provisions of Section 2 of the Act of shopkeepers employing not more than a specified number (say about four) employees?

5. In the light of your replies to the above questions, what other changes, if any, would you wish to be made in the provisions of Part I of the Act and the First and Second Schedules thereto?

6. Repeal and amendment of Part I of the Act, which relates only to shop closing hours, would not necessarily involve changes in Part II, which relates to the conditions of employment of individual shop-assistants. But the suggestion has been made that the provisions of Part II relating to adult workers might also be repealed, leaving only the provisions relating to juveniles. Would you favour this repeal? If not what changes, if any, would you wish to see in the provisions relating to adult workers?

7. Part III provides for modifications of Parts I and II in special cases. In the light of your replies to the questions on these Parts of the Act what changes, if any, would you wish to see in Part III?

8. Sunday trading, which is the subject of Part IV of the Act, is being considered by the Departmental Committee on Sunday Observance, and your views on this are not now being sought by the Home Secretary.

9. The Home Secretary appreciates that the usual procedure of consultation with your members may take some time. He would be grateful, however, if your replies to the questions in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 above could reach him not later than 28th February, 1964; 174W and if your replies to the remaining questions, if not ready by that date, could be given as soon as possible thereafter.

Yours faithfully,

(Sgd.) J. F. D. BUTTERY.

The above letter has been addressed to the following organisations:—

British Travel and Holidays Association.
Apparel and Fashion Industry's Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Association of British Chambers of Commerce.
Association of Municipal Corporations.
The Supermarket Association of Great Britain Ltd.
Association of Public Health Inspectors.
British Employers' Confederation.
British Hotels and Restaurants Association.
British Railways Board.
Caterers' Association of Great Britain.
Chartered Auctioneers' and Estate Agents' Institute.
Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association of Great Britain and Ireland.
Coal Merchants Federation of Great Britain.
Company Chemists Association Ltd.
Consumers Association.
Consumer Council (British Standards Ltd.).
Parliamentary Committee, Co-operative Union Ltd.
County Councils Association.
Drapers' Chamber of Trade.
Electrical Contractors' Association (Inc.).
Electricity Council.
Federation of Consumer Groups.
Federation of Merchant Tailors of Great Britain (Inc.).
Gas Council, The.
Guild of British Dispensing Opticians.
Ice Cream Alliance Federation Ltd.
Incorporated Guild of Hairdressers, Wig Makers and Perfumers.
Institute of Shops Acts Administration.
Institute of Weights and Measures Administration.
National Pharmaceutical Union.
Joint Committee of Ophthalmic Opticians.
London County Council.
London Transport.
Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee.
Milk Bars Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Ltd.
Multiple Shops Federation.
National Association of British Manufacturers.
National Association of British Market Authorities.
National Association of Corn and Agriculture Merchants Ltd.
National Association of Master Bakers, Confectioners and Caterers.
National Association of Outfitters.
National Association of Retail Furnishers.
National Caterers' Federation.
National Chamber of Trade.
National Coal Board.
National Committee of Citizens Advice Bureaux.
National Consultative Council of the Retail Liquor Trade.
National Council of Women of Great Britain.
National Economic Development Council.
National Federation of Builders' and Plumbers' Merchants.
National Federation of Fish Friers Ltd.
National Federation of Fishmongers Ltd.
National Federation of Grocers and Provision Dealers Associations.
National Federation of Inland Wholesale Fish Merchants.
National Federation of Meat Traders' Associations.
National Federation of Wholesale Grocers and Provision Merchants Associations.
National Federation of Women's Institutes.
National Grocers' Federation.
National Hairdressers Federation.
National Market Traders' Federation.
National Union of Retail Tobacconists.
National Union of Small Shopkeepers.
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
Retail Distributors' Association Inc.
Rural District Councils Association.
Stationers' Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
T.U.C. General Council.
Union of Shop Distributors and Allied Workers.
Urban District Councils Association.
Wholesale Footwear Distributors' Association.
Wholesale Textile Association.
National Federation of Off Licence Holders Associations.
National Union of Retail Confectioners.
National Federation of Retail Newsagents, Booksellers and Stationers.
The Cooked Meats National Trade Association.
National Federation of Shopkeepers.
Independent Traders Alliance.
Amalgamated Master Dairymen Ltd.
Booksellers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland.
China and Glass Retailers' Association Ltd.
National Association of Cycle Traders.
National Association of Tool Dealers.
National Dairymen's Association (Inc.).
National Trade Development Association.
National Federated Electrical Association.
National Federation of Ironmongers.
National Shoe Retailers Council.
Radio and Television Retailer Association Ltd.
Retail Fruit Trade Federation Ltd.
Retail Leather Goods and Saddlery Association Ltd.
Wallpaper and Paint Retailers Association of Great Britain.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has written in similar terms to the following organisations:

Association of County Councils in Scotland.
Convention of Royal Burghs.
Sanitary Inspectors' Association of Scotland.
Scottish Association of Master Bakers.
Scottish Association of Men's Outfitters.
Counties of Cities Association.
Council of Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
Scottish Chamber of Trade.
Scottish Federation of Fishmongers.
Scottish Federation of Grocers' and Provision Merchants' Associations.
Scottish Federation of Meat Traders' Associations.
Scottish Federation of Merchant Tailors.
Scottish Licensed Trade Association.
Scottish Hardware and Drysalters' Association.
Scottish Retail Drapers' Association.
Scottish Retail Fruit Trade Federation.
Wholesale and Retail Bakers of Scotland.
Scottish Trades Union Congress.
Scottish Tourist Board.
Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland.
Scottish Motor Trade Association.
Scottish Tobacco Trade Federation.
Scottish Shoe Retailers' Association.
Scottish Pharmaceutical Federation.
Scottish Association of Watchmakers and Jewellers.
Scottish Radio Retailers' Association.
Scottish Music Merchants' Association.
Commercial Libraries' Association (Scottish Section).
Scottish Credit Traders' Federal Board.
Pharmaceutical Standing Committee (Scotland).
Co-operative Union (Scottish Section).
Wholesale Groceries Association of Scotland.
Scottish Wholesale Wine Distributors Association.
The Licensed Grocers' and Wine Merchants' Association of Scotland.
Scottish House Furnishers Federation.
Scottish Milk Trade Federation.