§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of the extreme inconvenience caused to many people, particularly to farmers and those in the North, by British Standard Time during the winter months.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD STONHAM)My Lords, the Government always realised that British Standard Time was bound to cause some inconvenience to certain sections of the community, just as it would benefit others; but the experiment has not yet been running long enough to judge the balance of advantage and disadvantage.
§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that Answer, may I ask whether he is aware that in the North of Scotland, from which I returned ten days ago, 35 per cent. of the working day is in total darkness and that this is grossly inconvenient for agriculture and forestry? Further, may I ask why the majority of the British population should be put to the great inconvenience of of British Summer Time for the convenience of businessmen exporting to the Continent? Is that not the only reason for the change that has been made?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, it has always been the case that there has been a difference of an hour in daylight betwen the North and the South, and in the 1276 North people have been going to work in the dark during the winter for a long time. With regard to complaints, the Home Office have received complaints from 34 organisations—20 from the South and South-West, 9 from Yorkshire and 5 from Scotland. So it does not seem that the matter complained of bears very hardly on the North. With regard to farmers, the National Farmers' Union estimated that it would cost them an extra £15 million in overtime and £11 million in electricity. They now find that the difference is negligible. I think that I have covered the points raised by the noble Viscount, but if there are any other questions I have not answered I will try again.
§ LORD BLYTONMy Lords, the noble Viscount said that 35 per cent. of the day was in darkness in the North. Will there still be 35 per cent. of darkness no matter how we play around with the clock?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I think the noble Viscount was saying that there was 35 per cent. of darkness in the North judging from the time he went to bed and the time he got up.
§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, is the Minister aware that I said "35 per cent. of the working day", which is a very different matter from "the day"? And I get up just as early as the noble Lord.
§ LORD RITCHIE-CALDERMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that, having been brought up in the North of Scotland, I always went to school in darkness and came home in darkness?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, this may account for some of my noble friend's singular qualities. When this proposal was mooted, teachers were very much in favour of it because they thought that it was likely to be less dangerous for small children to go to school in the dark than to come home in the dark.
§ LORD AIREDALEMy Lords, taking the farming population of England and of Scotland, is it surprising that fewer complaints have come from farmers in Scotland?