Private Member's Bill To Get Parliamentary Time

A private member's bill banning large UK shops from opening on Christmas Day is to be given parliamentary time. The UK government said it would support the Christmas Day (Trading) Bill, which has been put forward by Labour MP Kevan Jones and was co-drafted by shop workers' union Usdaw.

The bill will ban stores above 3,000 square feet or 915sq m from opening on December 25. The law will not change in time for this year, with the bill due to get its first reading on January 7. In the meantime, trade secretary Patricia Hewitt has urged large shops to close this year.

Almost all major UK retailers close on Christmas Day, with a few specific exceptions for individual stores. Woolworths, for example, plans to open one big store in Southall, London, which has a large population of ethnic minorities for whom Christmas has no religious links.

However, the government has expressed concerns this year that increased competition may tempt retailers to consider opening. A spokesman for Usdaw told the BBC: "Our belief is that shop workers simply deserve the day off and it needs to be protected. At present any store can open on Christmas Day, unless it falls on a Sunday.