§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the growing practice of immigrant shopkeepers who keep 133W their shops open virtually all day and night and on every day of the week, contrary to the Shops Acts, that other shopkeepers object to this unfair competition which adversely affects their incomes and that local authorities, being short of staff, are unable to enforce the Shops Acts; and whether, in view of the need to improve race relations, he will ask some of the various organisations for which he is responsible to take action in connection with these matters.
§ Dr. SummerskillEnforcement of the Shops Act 1950 is a matter for local authorities, which have a general duty to carry out their functions with due regard to the need to promote good race relations. I agree that local authorities cannot themselves detect every breach of the Act, but I see no reason why a local authority should be unable to take action where anyone persistently disregards the Act's provisions.