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During the year the Home Office published a memorandum entitled
"Suggested Provisions for Amending Shops Legislation" with the
ultimate object of amending the Shops Act, 1950 as far as closing
hours, hours of employment and Sunday Trading are concerned. The
amendments take into consideration the recommendations of the
Gowers Committee and decisions given in well known court cases.
The memorandum does not deal with the health and comfort provisions
of the Act or the hours of employment of young persons.
There has been a tendency in recent years towards earlier shopping
by the public and earlier closing of shops, brought about to a large
extent by the war, therefore the proposals in the memorandum follow
in the same direction and in general agreement with the recommendations
of the Gowers Committee.
The general closing hour of shops is to be 7 p.m. (8 p.m. on one late
day) instead of the present times of 8 p.m. (9 p.m. on one late day).
At present later closing hours of 9.30 p.m. normally and 10.0 p.m. on
one day per week allow for the sale of tobacco, smokers' requisites,
sweets and chocolates. This arrangement will cease. The sale of these
commodities in cinemas, theatres and licenced premises after the general
closing hour will, however, still be allowed.
Where the sale of refreshments for on or off-consumption outside
the normal permitted hours forms a substantial part of the business, the
occupier of the shop may apply to the local authority for registration.
A shop so registered may be kept open after the evening closing hour
for the sale of fried fish and chips for off-consumption and after the
evening or half day closing hour and on Sundays for the sale for offconsumption
of such other refreshments as may be specified by order
of the Secretary of State, being refreshments ordinarily sold for immediate
off-consumption.
Shops are to be registered for three years in the first instance and
renewed for periods of three years at a time. The occupier has a right
of appeal in the event of a refusal.
Registered shops may open on Sundays up to 10 a.m. for the sale
of any article of food specified by order of the Secretary of State, being
an article commonly sold in bakers, fishmongers or grocers shops if
the local authority make an order permitting this. Such order may
authorise sales after 10 a.m. in cases of emergency.
Certain amendments are proposed to deal with the closing of shops
at Christmas, Bank Holidays and other special occasions, and to amend
Sections 53 and 62 of the 1950 Act in respect of Jewish and Muslim
traders.
Trading from stalls, barrows or other vehicles is to be brought into
line with shops as to closing hours. It will not be lawful to carry on in
any locality any retail trade or business at any time when shops in that
locality should be closed, provided that an occupier can exercise his
option to close early on the alternative early closing day specified in an
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