Government publishes insubstantial response to Sunday Trading consultation

Feb 12, 2016 by

From Christian Concern:

Five months after the deadline for submissions, ministers have published the results of a consultation on plans to extend Sunday trading hours.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said it had received “just over” 7,000 responses to the consultation from a “wide range of stakeholders”.

Christian Concern was one of several groups that asked the public to submit their views to the consultation, highlighting the many ways in which relaxing Sunday trading protections would negatively impact society.

The long-awaited response has been criticised for its lack of transparency, as it focuses on supportive responses from those who would benefit economically or politically from longer opening hours. Meanwhile, it downplays the many responses that expressed opposition to the plans.

Although the government admitted that a “significant number” of individuals raised concerns about the effects of removing Sunday protections, the actual number is not provided in the response.

In addition, the document highlighted that many of those objecting to the plans did not comment “specifically on devolution” – in this way brushing aside many pertinent objections.

The proposals have been tacked on to the Enterprise Bill at the last moment, in what Andrea Williams of Christian Concern has described as an attempt by the government to “slip in a loosening of Sunday protections by the back door”.

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