Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies has outlined his support for retaining the existing Sunday trading regulations in a visit to a SPAR store in his constituency.
The store owners, Matthew and Huw Jones, raised concerns about the impact that longer opening hours for larger stores on Sundays would have on their business.
The current, popular Sunday trading regulations are at risk of being removed by central Government, who want to devolve the power to set trading hours to local authorities.
Glyn Davies MP said: “It was good to visit Matt and Huw Jones at their Spar store in Caersws, who are great examples of local shop owners who work tirelessly to serve their communities. Convenience stores really are at the heart of our community. Local shops not only provide essential goods and services in rural areas such as Montgomeryshire, but they also employ over 800 local people within 102 stores across the constituency. It is therefore vital that local store owners are supported and their concerns are engaged with, in order to ensure that they remain at the heart of our communities for many more years to come.”
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The proposed changes to Sunday trading legislation will be extremely worrying for retailers like Matthew and Huw who are trading in rural areas at the heart of their community. By allowing larger stores to open later on a Sunday, Government will force many stores like this one to make tough decisions about their future.
“We are pleased that Mr Davies supports the existing Sunday trading regulations along with many other Conservative MPs and over two thirds of the British public, and will continue to make the case to Government that these plans should be scrapped.”
More information about the campaign to retain the existing Sunday trading regulations is available at www.keepsundayspecial.org.uk.
