I echo all that has been said so far, and wish to signal the 100 per cent. endorsement of the Liberal Democrats for this small but very important measure, which, as the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) said, is long overdue.

I was not particularly in favour of the 1994 Act, although I was not in the House at the time. However, I accepted that the Act was the wish of the House. I am not absolutely certain that it was the wish of the whole country but, 10 years down the line, some of the things that those who were opposed to the 1994 Act warned about are coming to pass. It is a great sadness that we have to think about imposing this sort of measure. It represents a modest step back towards common sense and rationality in our trading laws. I hope that its passage through the House will not be impeded.

I also hope that the Bill will send the message to supermarkets and other large stores not only that they owe a debt of responsibility to the consumer—they are always saying that everything is for the consumer and about consumer choice—but that they are a major part of their communities, our society and the lives of the people who work for them. They say that working at certain times is voluntary, but many of us know that it is not quite as voluntary as they would like to suggest. Other pressures are placed upon their employees to suggest that they ought to work on certain occasions. This Bill will ensure that they do not have to do so. I wish it every success.