§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Prime Minister, following the interim ruling of the European courts, on Sunday trading, if he will make a statement; and whether the Government will now provide official support for the Bill of the hon. Member for Ogmore (Mr. Powell) which seeks to amend the Shops Act 1950.
§ The Prime MinisterOn 8 July, the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice—ECJ—gave his opinion in the cases concerning the law on Sunday trading in England and Wales which had been referred to the ECJ by English courts. The opinion is not a judgment of the ECJ, and the cases before it remain sub judice. Our position on the Bill in question therefore remains as I explained in my reply on 30 June at column 709.