§ Miss Joan Hallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce well in advance of the usual October date the Christmas, 1971, days for shop closing, in order to help particularly food shops to plan ahead.
§ Mr. CarlisleMy right hon. Friend does not propose to exercise his powers under the Shops Act, 1950, to suspend the operation of shop closing hours during the 1971 Christmas season. This power has not been exercised for many years, but local authorities have been assured that ample notice would be given to them if, in any year, it was proposed to resort to it.
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MAGISTRATES' COURTS Percentage of legal aid applications refused in England and Wales—1969 and 1970 Summary proceedings Committal proceedings For trial on indictment Area Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970 Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970 Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970 COUNTIES Bedfordshire … 2.5 6.2 0.5 2.3 — — Berkshire … 7.0 5.8 2.0 0.8 0.4 0.7 Buckinghamshire … 8.0 9.6 1.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely … 11.3 12.9 1.4 0.6 1.5 — Cheshire … 5.3 7.7 3.0 2.5 0.6 1.9 Cornwall … 4.3 6.1 — — 3.2 — Cumberland … 10.8 7.0 5.0 9.3 6.3 4.7 Derbyshire … 6.8 6.8 1.1 0.7 — — Devon … 4.7 5.3 — — 0.8 — Dorset … 15.4 17.2 11.5 8.2 2.7 0.8 Durham … 20.2 18.2 5.0 2.7 0.7 — Essex … 24.7 19.0 3.8 4.6 3.0 2.0 Gloucestershire … 12.4 11.9 3.1 2.4 0.4 — Hampshire … 9.5 12.8 3.9 4.3 1.3 1.4 Isle of Wight … 37.3 18.1 40.9 15.8 — — Herefordshire … 11.7 8.6 0.9 1.0 — — Hertfordshire … 10.1 11.1 1.0 2.5 0.7 — Huntingdon and Peterborough 3.0 1.4 — 0.9 — — Kent … 11.1 14.0 1.2 1.4 0.7 0.3 Lancashire … 22.4 18.6 5.2 5.1 0.9 1.3 Leicestershire … 10.7 9.1 — — — — Lincolnshire— Holland … 4.3 7.2 — — — — Kesteven … 7.8 8.3 — — — — Lindsey … 10.8 1.5 0.6 — — — Inner London Area 26.7 28.6 7.1 4.4 2.6 1.6