Summer Time: Consultation (Hansard, 18 October 1989)

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, Her Majesty's Government published a Green Paper entitled Summer Time—A Consultation Document (Cmnd.722) on 27th June which invited representations on three options for future summer time arrangements. The responses are being assessed, but the Government have not yet reached any decision.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, I am grateful for what I take to be a sympathetic Answer. Nevertheless does the Minister not agree that a decision to adopt SDST is now becoming urgent in the light of firm evidence from the Transport and Road Research Laboratory showing that lighter evenings would reduce road accidents by a significant amount? Is the noble Viscount also aware that Sweden, which is far north of the United Kingdom, has adopted SDST with which it is very happy? Will the Minister give a date when the Government will make a statement in Parliament on what I consider a very important question?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, there have been a great number of responses to the Green Paper. They are still arriving in significant numbers. I understand that in excess of 25,000 have been received. As can be imagined these will take time to assess. The noble Baroness also referred to Scandinavia which is in the Central European Time zone. The movement of Britain to single/double summer time would have that effect.

§ Lord Annan
My Lords, is there not a great difference between countries in the east of Europe and in the west of Europe? Is one assuming that Greece should adopt this timetable or that Scotland should? There is such a great difference in the degrees of longitude.

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, Greece is one further on from Central European Time. Longitude has to be taken into account as it does in America. It is a question of latitude which single/double summer time refers to.

§ Lord Orr-Ewing
My Lords, will my noble friend bear in mind that whereas there are distinct advantages in lining up with our western friends in Europe there are also disadvantages in that they put their clocks back much earlier—in mid-September—whereas we put ours back at the end of October? There might be room for negotiation 910 in that we all change at the same time, but it should not be as early as is common now among our western allies.

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, my noble friend referred to the time that the clocks go back in Europe. Harmonisation would make us put our clocks back, if we did not move to single—double time at that date. That has found no favour. However, if we moved to single/double summer time we should have GMT plus one all the year round and GMT plus two for the summer time, and bringing the clocks back at the end of September would not be as difficult as it is now.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that there are many people who are sick and tired of having to move their clocks forward in the spring and back in the autumn? They see it as a ridiculous system and would like to go back to the period between 1968 and 1971 when we experimented with British Standard Time. In the light of present evidence that there are more accidents in the evening—that was one of the arguments which at that time was not properly researched—would it not now be sensible to have a standard time throughout the country so that everyone knows where they are all the way through and does not lose or gain any sleep, miss appointments or God knows what?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, the noble Lord makes a fair point. This will, I am sure, be one of the responses among the 25,000 replies made to the consultation document. It is just such a point and many others that will have to be considered.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that because of differences of longitude and latitude the noble Baroness may be quite right when she says that Scandinavian countries are satisfied with the change in time. However, in Scotland, with its different longitude, the impact would be considerable, especially in the north of Scotland, and would cause great dissatisfaction?

§ Viscount Ullswater
I take the point. I know that there is opposition to these changes in the north, and especially in the north—east, of Scotland.

§ Viscount Mountgarret
My Lords, in view of the concern shown by many Members of the House is it possible that the results of the consultation document and questionnaire might be attended to within a matter of weeks rather than months and a full and detailed report made available to the many people who are concerned about the matter?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, it is too soon to decide how best to deal with the next stage. As I have said, the responses to the Green Paper are still coming in. Once these have been assessed it will be possible to see if they add any new information on the issues or whether they represent in the most part votes for one of the three options. How the results are disseminated will no doubt depend on the result of the assessment.

§ Lord Nugent of Guildford
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that in addition to the convenience for those in northern climes of sticking to the present system there is the great convenience of a single time throughout Europe for the business life of this country—especially the financial life of London—and that is a fact of which we should not lose sight?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, I am sure that that will be one of the considerations that will be carefully considered.

§ Lord Monson
My Lords, following on from the intervention of the noble Lord, Lord Nugent, does the Minister agree that the eastern and western—most extremities of the European Community are just as far apart as the eastern and western—most extremities of Australia? Australia conforms to geographical realities in having three time zones and, therefore, logically the European Community should do the same. Does the Minister agree that the three time zones do not impede the efficient functioning of Australia's economy, nor should they impede the efficient functioning of the economy of the European Community?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, I am not sure that I can agree with the noble Lord. However, I am certain that such representations will be fed in and that the Home Office will consider them extremely carefully.

§ Lord Grimond
My Lords, when the Minister is considering the letters, will he bear in mind that Shetland is on the same latitude as Leningrad?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, I shall be happy to do so.

§ Baroness Nicol
My Lords, is it not the case that, whatever the weight of evidence received by the Government, legislation will be required before any change can be made and, therefore, the House will have every opportunity to discuss the matter?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, that is true.