Sunday Trading (Scotland) Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 11:02 am on 7 February 2003.

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Photo of David Wilshire David Wilshire Conservative, Spelthorne 11:02, 7 February 2003

That is so.

That brings me to the next issue that the hon. Member for Greenock and Inverclyde should consider carefully. The Bill offers protection in general terms to Christians because it applies to Sundays, and to people of the Jewish faith because there is the provision that if they respect their Sabbath they can work on a Sunday but decline to work on the Sabbath. I applaud that. That is right. I am a publicly confessed Christian, so I am glad that my faith is respected in that way.

Not all that long ago, there were debates in the House about making religious discrimination an offence, and I suspect that that issue will return. An Act that discriminates in favour of Sunday or the Jewish Sabbath but no other holy day in a week would fall foul of religious discrimination were it ever to become an offence. I can imagine how offended I would feel if I were not a Christian or a Jew that people of some faiths receive protection when those of my faith did not.