§ 2.50 p.m.
§ LORD DERWENT rose to move, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that the Summer Time Order 1964 be made in the form of the draft laid before the House on July 1. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the Summer Time Acts, 1922 and 1925, provide a formula for fixing the period of Summer Time in any year. Under this formula Summer Time runs from the latter part of April until the early part of October. The Act of 1947 enables this period to be varied by Order in Council subject to the prior approval of Parliament. It is in pursuance of the provisions of Section 2 of that Act that the draft Order now before the House has been laid.
§ A general inquiry undertaken by the Government in 1959–60 showed that there was a widespread demand for a longer period of Summer Time. Parliament approved the introduction in 1961 542 of an extended period of Summer Time six weeks longer than the statutory period. This arrangement received wide support and has been continued in succeeding years. This year, to avoid starting Summer Time on Easter Day, the extension has been of seven weeks, four in the spring and three in the autumn. In view of the apparent popularity of this earlier start, the Government propose that next year's extension should also be of seven weeks.
§ Your Lordships will note that the Order now before the House differs from those of previous years in providing for a period of three years instead of for the ensuing year only. We have decided to do this in response to a suggestion made by the Special Orders Committee, which was supported by the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd, that this arrangement would be more convenient to many people, especially to businessmen and the compilers of diaries and time-tables. We have not thought it right to cover as long a period as five years, as the noble Lord proposed in last November's debate on this subject, since public opinion on this question appears still to be developing. For similar reasons we think it would be premature at this time to introduce permanent legislation on Summer Time. If the House approves the proposals in the Order, Summer Time will run from March 21 to October 24 in 1965, from March 20 to October 23 in 1966, and from March 19 to October 29 in 1967. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that the Summer Time Order 1964 be made in the form of the draft laid before the House on the 1st July.—(Lord Derwent.)
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I am sure that the House will be grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Derwent, for the statement he has made. I think it is a very sensible idea to have this longer period of notice: it will be of great help not only to the farmers, but also to diary manufacturers, compilers of time-tables for airlines, and so on. If this proves to be successful and popular, would the noble Lord's Ministry consider making an announcement in 1966 of the Summer Times for the subsequent three years, so that those who have an interest in the dates of Summer Time should have pretty reasonable notice of what are the Government's intentions?
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, although that question relates to a period some time ahead, I think I can say almost for certain that this giving of due notice will be carried on in the future. Of course, at the back of all this, if the public approve this experimental period, is the idea that the Government of the day, whoever it may be, may well think it right to have permanent legislation. But at the moment we think it a bit early to do that. I should like to give an undertaking that this will happen but I might be in a different job in the next Government.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to: the said Address to be presented to Her Majesty by the Lords with White Staves.