HL Deb 01 July 1986 vol 477 cc753-5

2.49 p.m.

Lord Allerton

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

The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider cancelling the bank holiday at the beginning of May and adding that day to the Whitsun holiday, preferably on the previous Friday.

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, a public consultation in 1982 about the desirability of moving the bank holiday on the first Monday in May showed opinion was divided. Accordingly the Government announced in June 1982 that they had decided not to make any changes. We have no plans to reopen this issue.

Lord Allerton

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Would he not agree that there are probably many more people who would prefer to have one reasonably long week-end instead of two days rather close together?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, the process of consultation through which my department went in 1982 showed that, at the very least, opinions were divided. There were many institutions against a change, many for a change, but in the end no clear opinion emerged. In those circumstances it was thought fit that we should not make a change.

Baroness Seear

My Lords, is it possible that the Minister will think again? We keep getting into a situation in which, because Easter moves about so rapidly, we have in a period of six or seven weeks four bank holidays, mostly when it is raining and cold, and then we do not have another through June, July and August, until the very end of August. It seems absolutely crazy to continue with the present distribution of holidays. Everybody would love to have a holiday in June and July, but we have them all in chilly April and May. It is four years since the last consultations. The British public take a long time to change their minds, and would it not be worthwhile looking at the matter again?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, if the noble Baroness will be kind enough to give me a list of the days on which it will be warm and sunny in the next five years, I shall undertake that her suggestion will certainly be considered.

Baroness Seear

My Lords, we can give the Minister some probabilities.

Baroness Phillips

My Lords, would it not be possible for Her Majesty's Government to declare a bank holiday for the Royal Wedding?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, an announcement has already been made; there is no precedent for such a holiday.

Lord Parry

My Lords, before we leave the subject, will the Minister tell the House what he thinks of the weather, both quantitatively and qualitatively, since the Government have been in office?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, I have learnt to have a very selective memory. For the past week it has been perfect.

Lord John-Mackie

My Lords, does the Minister not agree that it would help the situation if Easter was fixed and not moved about over a whole month?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, that is another question.

Lord Airedale

My Lords, in amplification of what has been said by the noble Baroness, does the Minister not appreciate that Easter Monday can occur as late as 25th April? If we keep the May Day holiday where it is, that will bring those two holidays much too close together. Surely that provides a good reason for implementing the Easter Act, which has been on the statute book since 1928 and which confines Easter to the first half of April.

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, I believe that there are other considerations concerning the date of Easter, but I shall certainly look at the legislation. I am not sure when it will be that Easter and the May Day holiday will come so close, but as luck would have it, I am sure that when it does happen, it will be a fine, warm spell.

Lord Leatherland

My Lords, have the Government ever considered making a bank holiday of 1st July, which was the day on which we attacked on the Somme in 1916? It was rather tragic, I quite agree, but it is a memorable day in the military history of this country.

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, in a nation of the age of ours I suppose that there is cause to commemorate or remember every day in some way or another. We must find days that are suitable and sensible, and for which there is a clear body of opinion in favour. At present there is no clear view for a change. Until there is, I do not see how I can take this matter any further.

The Lord Bishop of Chichester

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the representatives of the Church of England have repeatedly expressed themselves in favour of a fixed Easter? Does he not agree that if there is to be a Whitsun bank holiday, it would be more logical to have it at Whitsuntide than at some other period?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, I hope that all in your Lordships' House are beginning to appreciate the complexities of this apparently simple question.

Lord Wallace of Coslany

My Lords, will the Minister say whether there is any chance of this House rising before the next bank holiday?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, the noble Lord should speak to those who are more learned than I in these matters.