Future Of Local Community Shops

EDM number 876 in 2005-06, proposed by David Drew on 26/10/2005.

That this House believes in the importance of diversity and consumer choice in grocery shopping; is deeply concerned at the closure of more than 2,000 independent local shops in 2004 because of consolidation in the market; expresses disappointment and concern that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) decided not to conduct a full review of the grocery market in the light of this threat to the local shop; welcomes the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Small Shops that is carrying out an inquiry into the `High Street 2015'; and calls on the OFT to reconsider its decision.

This motion has been signed by a total of 98 MPs.