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Business of the House

I am interested to hear what my hon. Friend's local authority has done. I believe that our planning proposals will give more weight to local authorities to take the sort of initiative that he has just touched on to protect independent stores and local traders. So far as protecting them from unfair, predatory trading from some of the giant chains, the groceries code adjudicator Bill may give some protection. Of course, the Government have in the pipeline the broader agenda of deregulation, which I hope will help all the small shopkeepers in his constituency.