Written question asked by Andrew Selous (Conservative) on Wednesday, 15 October 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 October 2003. It was answered by Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 October 2003 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the response to her request that retailers not open on Christmas Day 2002; and what action she proposes to take in relation to Christmas Day 2003.

Answer: Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the response to her request that retailers not open on Christmas Day 2002; and what action she proposes to take in relation to Christmas Day 2003. [133154] Mr. Sutcliffe: A consultation of individual major retailers in summer 2002 indicated that the majority did not plan to open on Christmas Day in 2002 or in future years. However, it was apparent that opening by competitors or changes in customer demand would lead to plans being reviewed in some cases. A public consultation on legislation to prohibit opening by large stores on Christmas Day took place earlier this year. This showed the majority of respondents in favour of maintaining the special nature of the day. The Government may introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Secondary information