Bishops urge Britain to keep laws regulating Sunday shopping

Published: 2006-04-18

LONDON (CNS) -- The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales told the British government it would be a "grave mistake" to change laws that regulate doing business on Sundays. The 1994 Sunday Trading Act allows stores smaller than 3,000 square feet (280 square meters) to open all day, although larger stores can be open up to six hours on Sundays. But under pressure from larger retailers, the government has ordered a review of the law and provisions that ban large stores from opening on Christmas and Easter and give workers the right to refuse to work on Sunday. In a written statement, published April 13, the bishops' conference urged the government's Department for Trade and Industry not to change the law. Most people do not want further deregulation, said the statement by the bishops' Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship. It said the "special atmosphere" of Sundays supports a "healthier work-life balance and gives space for families and communities."

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