The anomaly arose from the different legislation in force in Scotland and the rest of the UK regarding Sunday trading. In Scotland, there was never any legislation preventing Sunday trading, and shops could choose their own opening hours. However, Sunday trading was illegal in England and Wales under the
Shops Act 1950. In practice, Scottish shops did not usually open on a Sunday as a matter of custom. Towards the end of the 20th century, demand for Sunday trading increased, and many Scottish shops began to open on a Sunday. An act of Parliament, the
Sunday Trading Act 1994 was passed to allow shops to trade on a Sunday in England and Wales, subject to certain conditions. Although they later backed down, several Scottish MPs raised questions on the different legal rights between the different parts of the UK, and demanded that the right to refuse to work on a Sunday be enjoyed by workers in Scotland also. ==Section 1 - Sunday working: shop and betting workers in Scotland==