Reading West MP Martin Salter yesterday (Thursday) spoke in support a raft of private bills proposing tougher legislation on illegal street trading. The Bills, which passed the third reading stage in the Commons, are now to be scrutinised in the House of Lords.

The Bills have been brought forward by Reading Borough Council as well as Manchester, Leeds, and Canterbury City Councils, and Bournemouth Borough Council. Currently pedlars’ certificates, which are administered by the police, allow people to sell items on the street but not to have a fixed stall or stay in the same area for longer than a defined period. However these certificates are routinely abused, take business from legal street traders and can cause nuisance to the general public.

The Bills have been stalled for many months as a result of a “filibuster” by a handful of right-wing Conservative MPs opposed to further regulation. Mr Salter has been present through most of the debates in order to vote down any further attempts at delay.

On Thursday 28^th January, Martin Salter spoke briefly in favour of the Reading Bill receiving its third reading and proceeding through its remaining Parliamentary stages following a series of concessions agreed by the promoters. He said:-

“I am delighted that the Reading Borough Council Bill’s passage has been eased and that an accommodation has been found.”

Speaking after the debate, Mr Salter added:-

“The proposed legislation would give police special powers which have proved effective in other areas of the country, such as limiting the activities of pedlars from trading house to house and seizing counterfeit or faulty products. I have no desire to limit the activities of genuine hawkers but I am concerned that consumers in Reading are not ripped off and that legitimate traders do not face unfair competition from fly-by-night operators.”