SUMMER TIME, 1951 (Hansard, 20 February 1951)

§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Ede)
I beg to move, That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty in pursuance of the provisions of Section 2 of the Summer Time Act, 1947, praying that the Summer Time Order, 1951, be made in the form of the draft laid before this House on 30th January. This draft Order in Council gives effect to the proposal which I announced in the House on 25th January, that the period of Summer Time this year should extend from the morning of 15th April to the morning of 21st October. Summer Time in 1950 was for the corresponding period. Under the Summer Time Acts, 1922–25, the Summer Time period this year would have been from 27th April to 7th October, but the Summer Time Act, 1947, made provision for the variation by Order in Council of the period specified in the earlier Acts.
I had hoped, as I informed the House just over a year ago, that it would have been possible to revert this year to the statutory period, but the gravity of the coal situation made it necessary to consider a variation of the statutory period again this year. I consulted the interests affected by Summer Time, particularly this year those concerned with fuel and with agriculture. The fuel interests represented very strongly that there should be an extended period of Summer Time at both ends, but that double Summer Time should also be introduced for the months of May to August.
The agricultural interests, while fully appreciating the need to save coal, did not believe that the estimated savings could offset the extension of Summer Time or the introduction of double Summer Time. They preferred that Summer Time should run for the statutory period and they strongly opposed the introduction of double Summer Time. The broad grounds of their objection, particularly near the beginning and end of Summer Time, were that farm people were brought to work before the physical conditions of most fields were right, and valuable time was wasted. Dairy farmers had a special practical difficulty of their own.
In view, however, of the specially difficult coal situation, the Agricultural Ministers were prepared to agree that the period 1205 of Summer Time in 1951 should be the same as that in 1950. We have taken the view that the balance of advantage lies against the extension of Summer Time beyond the period for which it was extended last year, but that, in view of the vital importance of saving fuel, the extension of Summer Time by three weeks, the same as last year, is justified. I hope that this arrangement will commend itself to the House.

§ Major Sir Thomas Dugdale (Richmond, Yorks)
I think that my hon. Friends on this side of the House will agree that the Home Secretary has, after considerable thought on this matter, come to a reasonable balance. We are grateful to him for deciding that he does not want to extend Summer Time, because it is very awkward for those farmers in the North of England and Scotland, but in view of the position which he has explained, we wish to say that we are prepared to agree to the Motion.

§ Mr. Macdonald (Roxburgh and Selkirk)
May I add, on behalf of the Liberal Party, that we think that the right hon. Gentleman has struck a very fair balance in this matter. We would like to see Summer Time dispensed with altogether in the interests of agriculture, but during the period when fuel shortage is so acute, we appreciate that the right hon. Gentleman has reached the best decision, taking all the circumstances into consideration.