§ 80. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many towns and cities now permit opening of cinemas on Sundays; how many have refused to permit it; and whether it is his intention to adopt any common policy throughout the country.
§ Mr. EdeAccording to my information about 482 urban areas (including London, 66 out of 83 county boroughs, 212 out of 309 boroughs and 203 out of 572 urban districts) have at present powers to permit Sunday opening. In a good many instances these powers were derived from Defence Regulation 42B and will lapse with the expiry of the regulation except where the local authorities concerned take steps, as some of them have done, to obtain orders under the Sunday Entertainment Act, 1932. In answer to the last part of my hon. Friend's Question, Parliament decided in 1932 that this controversial question was best left to local option, and I have no reason to doubt the wisdom of that decision.