asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that, at the last Easter annual delegate meeting of the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers, representing over 100,000 members employed in the distributive trades, a resolution was passed in favour of making Saturday the half-day closing of shops; and will he take steps to implement this resolution?

Yes, Sir; and personally I fully appreciate the desire of shop assistants to have their leisure at the same time as other workers. The change proposed, however, might have serious consequences, not only to traders, but also to those sections of the public who have no adequate opportunity to shop except on Saturday afternoons. I do not think that the proposal which would require legislation to be made effective could be entertained except after a searching investigation, which it would not be possible to undertake at the present time.