§ Sir J. HARMOOD-BANNERasked the Secretary of State for the Home Depart- 1507W ment whether his attention has been called to the inconvenience under the Shops Act of holding half-holiday exemptions on fixed days on special occasions; and whether he would consent to giving a limited option to the employer on the lines of the Factory Act, by giving a few days' notice of the intention to work after prescribed hours, to change the days without curtailing the number of half-holidays?
§ Mr. McKENNAI understand that the hon. Member has in mind the case of large shops at stock-taking times. I may point out that under the Act it is already open to the shopkeeper to alter the day of the assistants' half-holiday in any particular week to some other day in the same week by notice affixed in the shop not later than the previous Saturday, and, if he so desire, to fix different days for different assistants. If, however, the suggestion is that the shopkeeper should have the option of giving a half-holiday in some other week in lieu of the half-holiday in stock-taking week, that would require an amendment of the Act, and no representations, so far as I am aware, have been made to the Home Office in favour of such an amendment.