HL Deb 01 March 1961 vol 229 cc75-6

2.25 p.m.

LORD GIFFORD

My Lords. I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will be in a position to make a statement with regard to the extension of the holiday season and the moving of August Bank Holiday to the end of August or the first half of September.]

THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)

My Lords, I am not yet able to say when the Government will be in a position to make a statement on this subject.

LORD GIFFORD

My Lords, arising out of the noble Earl's Answer, can he say whether his right honourable friend has yet received the Report of the Departmental Committee which is considering this matter, and, if so, whether this Report will in due course be published?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

No, my Lords. It is the custom that information given by officials to Ministers is confidential, and my right honourable friend thinks there is no reason why an exception should be made in the case of this Report.

LORD GIFFORD

My Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for his answer, I should like to ask that this matter should be expedited as much as possible, because the continued delay is causing great concern among those in the travel and holiday industry.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, my noble friend will remember that when he raised this subject last November, I humbly ventured to suggest that perhaps the English might adopt the Scottish practice of staggering summer holidays. It was only a personal suggestion, but of course, if the English do not want to do that, they will have to work out their own solution; and it may possibly take them quite a long time.

LORD REA

My Lords, might it not be that the English are not quite so adept at staggering as the Scots?

LORD AIREDALE

My Lords, arising out of what the noble Earl has just said, may I ask whether it is not the fact that perhaps the worst single cause of the nation-wide traffic congestion is the August Bank Holiday? Would not this apply equally whenever Bank Holiday was held, and might it not be advisable to consider substituting for August Bank Holiday a special day's holiday which people could take according to their own arrangements, but not necessarily all upon the same day?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, that is exactly what is done in Scotland, with the result that there is not nearly so much staggering.