Retail Store Closure: Boxing Day Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Madeleine Moon
Main Page: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)Department Debates - View all Madeleine Moon's debates with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Retail Store Closure: Boxing Day
Madeleine Moon Excerpts(7 years, 5 months ago)
Westminster HallRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Westminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Helen Jones
It does. We hear much from the Government about supporting families and the family being very important. We show how important it is by our deeds, not just by words. It is time we gave these lowest paid workers the right that we all take for granted—the right to have a day off on Boxing day.
Mrs Madeleine Moon (in the Chair)
May I ask Members who wish to speak to stand, as I have not received notifications from any speakers?
Several hon. Members
Andrea Jenkyns
With respect, in all the years that I worked in retail—you have not worked in retail like I have—it was the busiest day.
Mrs Madeleine Moon (in the Chair)
Order. I have worked in retail. I assume that you are referring to me.
Andrea Jenkyns
No, sorry, I was talking to the hon. Member for Warrington North (Helen Jones), but thank you, Mrs Moon.
My point is that we need to provide this opportunity. I know so many students who would welcome the opportunity to work on Boxing day and new year’s day to earn extra money and, as has been said, what about hospitality workers or those who work in the NHS? Are we just going to ban anyone from working so that life completely stops on Boxing day? That is not realistic. To those who say that we should stop people working on Boxing day, I say that I do not want any more retailers to go out of business. I worked in retail for more than 20 years, and a large number of the workers whom I worked with in my 20-year career were happy to work on Boxing day. Not everyone is signing this petition, and look at how many people work in the retail industry.
Andrea Jenkyns
I actually did not work for Woolworths, just for the record. I was just saying how they—
Mrs Madeleine Moon (in the Chair)
Order. The hon. Lady needs to be called before making an intervention.
Drew Hendry
I am, of course, introducing a bit of levity. I did not intend to—
Mrs Madeleine Moon (in the Chair)
Order. Can we not have conversations across the Chamber?