§ Mr. WILKIEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received any representations from the Newcastle-on-Tyne Corporation with reference to the Shops Act and the position in which those shopkeepers, who have chosen Wednesday for the weekly half-holiday, will be during Christmas week and the week after by reason of the fact that Christmas Day this year falls on the Wednesday as well as New Year's Day, which is also recognised as a general holiday; and whether, in view of the fact that the shopkeepers referred to will be in a disadvantageous position as compared with those whose half-holiday is on a Saturday, he can take any steps to mitigate this disadvantage?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes, Sir, I have received representations on this subject from the Newcastle Corporation. The difficulty is that shops which close for the half-holiday on Wednesday will not be able to take advantage of the provision in Subsection (5), of Section 4 of the Act, and keep open on the half-holiday in the week preceding Christmas; and I have pointed out that the difficulty can be overcome by the shopkeeper altering the day of the half-holiday in Christmas week from Wednesday to Saturday. Where Wednesday has been fixed as the day of the half-holiday by an Order made by the local authority, the Order must under the Statute allow a shopkeeper who so desires to substitute Saturday as the day of the half-holiday; and where no Order has been made, I am advised that under Sub-section (3), of Section 4, it is permissible for a shopkeeper, once in any period of three months, to change the day of the half-holiday for a particular week, reverting to the ordinary day in the succeeding week.