§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many hank holidays there are in 1995 in(a) Scotland and (b) Wales and England; and what are the reasons for the difference.
§ Miss WiddecombeThere are eight permanent bank and public holidays in all parts of Great Britain. For 1995 only, the early May bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has been moved from the first to the second Monday in May—from 1 to 8 May 1995—to link with commemorative events for the 50th anniversary of VE day.
In Scotland, 8 May will be a bank holiday in addition to 1 May 1995; unlike other parts of the United Kingdom, the first Monday in May in Scotland, which is specified as a hank holiday in schedule 1 to the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, has a long tradition going back to 1871. In practice, however, bank holidays have less general significance in Scotland where various local and traditional holidays tend to be observed instead. It seems unlikely that most employers in Scotland will observe both the 1 May and the 8 May 1995 bank holidays.
The law does not give employees a right to a holiday on those days and all holiday entitlement is a matter for agreement between employers and employees.