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Sunday Trading

 

The Church of England has rejected proposals to further extend trading hours for large retail outlets on Sundays.

In a response to a Department of Trade and Industry consultation on the topic, the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Tom Butler, pledges that the Church would “resist any further attempts to erode what still exists in legislation to safeguard the special nature of Sunday”.

Highlighting a range of research pointing to the adverse impact on family life that the 1994 Sunday Trading Act has had, the submission expresses particular concern for the possible consequences of even longer store opening hours on shop workers and those in retail support roles.

The document also questions whether major retailers actually want to extend opening hours, pointing to research revealing little enthusiasm amongst retailers for unrestricted opening hours, and a belief that volumes of trade arising from any additional trading hours may not compensate for the increased costs in doing so.

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