§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the dates of public holidays, including saints days, of member countries of the European Economic Community after 1st January 1973; and if he will take action to seek to ensure harmonisation of such public holidays.
§ Mr. John DaviesInformation is not readily available about all the countries concerned, but for five of them the details are as follows:
Belgium observes 10 public holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, the 1st May, Ascension Day, Pentecost, the 21st July, Assumption Day—the 15th August, All Saints' Day—1st November, the 11th November and Christmas Day.
France observes 10 public holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, the 1st May, Ascension Day, Pentecost, the 14th July, Assumption Day—15th August, All Saints' Day—1st November, the 11th November and Christmas Day.
The Federal German Republic observes between 10 and 13 holidays. The number and dates vary according to the provisions of State law, but of the 12 most universally observed, the 1st January, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the 1st May, Pentecost, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are observed in all States, and Epiphany—6th January, Corpus Christi—mid-June, Assumption Day—15th August, and All Saints' Day—1st November—are observed in most States.
Italy observes 17 public holidays: New Year's Day, Epiphany—6th January, the 518W 19th March, the 25th April, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday, the 1st May, the 19th May, Corpus Christi—mid-June, the 29th June, Assumption Day—15th August, All Saints' Day—1st November, the 4th November, the 8th December, Christmas and Boxing Day.
Holland observes seven public holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Pentecost, the 23rd June, Assumption Day—15th August, Christmas and Boxing Day.
United Kingdom: There is no provision for statutory public holidays in the United Kingdom. The following six Bank and common law holidays are however generally observed as public holidays in England and Wales: Good Friday, Easter Monday, last Monday in May, last Monday in August, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Other dates are observed in Scotland, Northern Ireland and in parts of England and Wales.
The holidays listed for the existing members of the European Community are secured by national or State law. Practice in individual member States of the Community on extra-statutory holidays varies considerably. They have no direct equivalent of common law holidays, nor holidays which are effectively national public holidays secured by legislation governing banking.
Harmonisation of public holidays is not required in the Community, and I have no plans to suggest to our partners in the enlarged Community that it should become so.