§ Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to take steps to remedy the situation whereby Great Britain is out of step with the rest of Europe on changes to summer time made under the Summer Time Act 1972.
§ Mr. Whitelaw: We have made it clear to our partners in the European Community that we see considerable difficulty in achieving a common finishing date for 100W summer time, which this year will end on 26 October in the United Kingdom and 28 September in member States on the mainland of Europe. The European Community is therefore concentrating on a common starting date, which would be one week later than the present United Kingdom date, but one week earlier than that on the mainland of Europe. The Government welcome this proposal and are ready to seek the agreement of Parliament to a draft Order in Council to provide for summer time to start on 29 March in 1981 and 28 March in 1982.