HL Deb 19 June 1979 vol 400 cc811-3

2.46 p.m.

Lord AIREDALE

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 whether they noted that this year's late Easter occurred during fine weather; and whether they will move to bring into force the Easter Act 1928 so as to ensure that Easter shall in future always be observed in April rather than in March.

The PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Belstead)

My Lords, the Government's view is that it would not be appropriate to implement the Easter Act 1928 without the full concurrence of the Churches. Our present understanding is that such concurrence is not likely.

Lord AIREDALE

My Lords, I am much obliged; but is not fifty years rather a long delay for bringing into force an Act of Parliament?

Lord BELSTEAD

Yes, my Lords.

The Lord Bishop of NORWICH

My Lords, is the Minister aware that, even with the technical and professional help of the noble Prelates and spiritual Peers, the first part of the noble Lord's Question is something that it is difficult to be sure about, with our English weather? May I thank the Minister for making the point that full concurrence is necessary, and ask this: Would not the Minister feel, in view of the fact that Easter is a world festival, that the great world confessions—that is, Anglican, Roman, Orthodox, Lutheran, for instance—would have to agree? Would not the Minister feel that there is something to be said for the historic change in dates at Easter to remind us of the historical fact of Easter, and that therefore if we consider Whitsun weekend again it might help us with these difficult new spring bank holidays? Can he not replace them with a restored Whitsun holiday?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, I am grateful to the right reverend Prelate for what he has said. I agree with what he said. When all is said and done, Good Friday and Easter Sunday comprise the most solemn dates in the Christian calendar. Arising from what the right reverend Prelate said, if the noble Lord, Lord Airedale, will forgive me, I think really that the first part of his Question is based on something of a misconception. The noble Lord may be aware that of the last 10 Easter Days, six have fallen on dates other than the date contemplated by the 1928 Act, and of those six Easter Days four fell earlier, and of the four only one was colder.

Lord DERWENT

My Lords, may I say to the right reverend Prelate that what he said is slightly wrong? Has it not been recently discovered that over all these centuries Easter has been kept on the wrong day?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, I must have notice of that.

The Lord Bishop of NORWICH

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the Paschal moon is the important thing and this is part of both Jewish history and Christian history, so that as long as it is moving it does not matter whether we get the date exactly right?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, let me end this discussion by saying that my brief goes back only to 1750.

Lord GARDINER

My Lords, does the noble Lord not agree that it is the Greek Orthodox Church which is involved and that the Greek Orthodox Church cannot so agree without a resolution of the Pan-Orthodox Holy Synod; and that that Holy Synod has not met since the Russian Revolution, because if the Russians call a meeting the Greeks do not go and if the Greeks call a meeting the Russians do not go? Do the Government think it is right that whether the ordinary British family should have their Spring Bank Holiday in March or April ought to depend on that kind of consideration?

Lord BELSTEAD

My Lords, that is my understanding. The only gloss which I would put on the noble and learned Lord's remarks is that there was to have been a Pan-Orthodox Holy Synod convened for 1972. When the moment came, it was not held.