The Sunday Trading (London Olympic Games and Paralympics Games) Bill (HL Bill 139) has recently been published. Although welcomed in some quarters (notably the retail business community in central London) the draft law is viewed as being quite controversial in others, including religious organisations and also Trade Unions ,who view this will as the first step towards fundamental changes to Sunday trading laws.

The purpose of the Bill is to suspend restrictions on Sunday trading hours for the period of the London Olympic Games and Paralympics Games, so that Paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 1 to the Sunday Trading Act 1994 (which restricts  Sunday opening at large shops) does not apply during the “suspension period” – which means the part of the London Olympics period
which—

(a) begins with Sunday 22 July 2012, and

(b) ends with Sunday 9 September 2012.

The draft law only applies to England and Wales, and the Act is repealed at the end of the suspension period.

Here is a hyperlink to the draft Bill