§ Mr. Baldryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of those letters received to date by his Department concerning the Shops Bill [Lords] have supported the status quo;
(2) how many of those letters received to date by his Department opposed to the complete deregulation of Sunday trading have suggested alternative reforms;
(3) how many of those letters received by his Department opposed to complete deregulation of Sunday trading that have put forward alternative reforms have suggested that (a) local authorities take the decisions as to which shops may open on Sunday, (b) that shops may only open to sell goods that are needed, (c) that opening be limited to shops of a certain size, (d) that opening be limited to shops of a certain type or (e) that the hours that shops may open on a Sunday be limited.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe letters received by the Department opposed to the Shops Bill have not been analysed in the detailed ways requested by my hon. Friend and I regret that such a precise analysis could be attempted only at disproportionate cost. In general, however, relatively few of the letters opposing the Bill have suggested alternative reforms, and among those that have, there has been no consensus, nor any markedly greater degree of support for one alternative as opposed to another.