This is not about asking the government to make it compulsory for shops to open 24/7 or at a certain time on a Sunday, but is about giving the discretion to the retailers themselves. It may not be in their interests to open earlier or to stay open later based on costs & staffing etc, but is about giving them the option to do so if they wish. For the religious people who are against a relaxation in the law due to it affecting the family way of life or ability to attend religious services, look to ROI for a guide. They currently have no Sunday trading restrictions imposed, however, most retailers generally operate 10am-5pm on a Sunday. It could be argued that ROI is one of the most religious countries in Europe, being predominately Roman Catholic, but not having Sunday trading restrictions imposed does not seem to affect their religious way of life?
To: The First Minister, Peter Robinson & the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness
Abolition of 'The Shops (Sunday Trading &c.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997'
Dear Ministers, this is a petition by the people of Northern Ireland to have it's current out-dated Sunday trading laws repealed.
Why is this important?
Presently in Northern Ireland, under the 'Shops (Sunday Trading &c.) Northern Ireland Order 1997', large retailers are restricted to opening between the hours of 1-6pm. In the rest of the UK, England & Wales enjoys a more relaxed approach, being able to trade between the hours of 10am-6pm, but Scotland has nearly no restriction at all! The Republic of Ireland also has no restrictions imposed on when retailers can trade on a Sunday, but most stick to the hours of 10am-5pm. However, large supermarkets in Dublin & other large cities, operate a 24hrs opening policy, as with most other major cities in Europe.
It is the intention of this petition to bring to the attention of the Minister for Social Development, the will of Northern Ireland consumers to have this current law reviewed. Not least because of the recession the UK is experiencing, but also, as a consumer in today’s modern society, having restrictions imposed on the Sunday hours that you’re allowed to shop, seems ridiculous!
You may be aware, there are already exceptions to this rule, whereby shops with a floor space of less than 280sq metres, pharmacies, off licences, farm shops, motor/cycle supply shops, airport shops, bus or rail station shops, or petrol stations don’t have opening hour restrictions placed on them. Some large shops which do have to abide by this law (Ikea, some supermarkets), may open early to allow customers to ‘browse’ but don’t actually sell anything until the allowed time. Also, allowances can be made where an application is made to the local council for special permissions to open outside these hours; as seen by Asda in Downpatrick, Co. Down – they open 11am-6pm on a Sunday during the school summer holidays (July – August).
LETS PETITION MINISTERS TO REVIEW THIS OUTDATED LAW!
**For those who are against this petition, please leave a comment below, or contact me, stating the reasons why you're against a relaxation in Sunday trading laws in this country**
REMEMBER TO SHARE ON YOUR FACEBOOK TIMELINE OR TWITTER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES WE GET! THE MORE PUBLICITY IT GETS, THE BETTER!
It is the intention of this petition to bring to the attention of the Minister for Social Development, the will of Northern Ireland consumers to have this current law reviewed. Not least because of the recession the UK is experiencing, but also, as a consumer in today’s modern society, having restrictions imposed on the Sunday hours that you’re allowed to shop, seems ridiculous!
You may be aware, there are already exceptions to this rule, whereby shops with a floor space of less than 280sq metres, pharmacies, off licences, farm shops, motor/cycle supply shops, airport shops, bus or rail station shops, or petrol stations don’t have opening hour restrictions placed on them. Some large shops which do have to abide by this law (Ikea, some supermarkets), may open early to allow customers to ‘browse’ but don’t actually sell anything until the allowed time. Also, allowances can be made where an application is made to the local council for special permissions to open outside these hours; as seen by Asda in Downpatrick, Co. Down – they open 11am-6pm on a Sunday during the school summer holidays (July – August).
LETS PETITION MINISTERS TO REVIEW THIS OUTDATED LAW!
**For those who are against this petition, please leave a comment below, or contact me, stating the reasons why you're against a relaxation in Sunday trading laws in this country**
REMEMBER TO SHARE ON YOUR FACEBOOK TIMELINE OR TWITTER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES WE GET! THE MORE PUBLICITY IT GETS, THE BETTER!
