Her Daylight Savings Bill is intended to provide for an analysis of the costs and benefits of moving the clocks forward one hour throughout the year. This would give everyone an extra hour of daylight in the evenings - when more people are able to enjoy it.
Mrs Harris said: ‘Road safety experts are also confident that lighter evenings will save nearly 100 lives a year on our roads, mainly children and other vulnerable road users. We can't ignore something that would save that many children's lives.
‘This change could reduce our reliance on artificial light, and cut people's electricity bills and up to half a million tonnes of CO2 pollution each year - equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off Britain's roads.
‘It is also supported by the leisure and tourism industry, who estimate that lighter evenings could create 60 – 80,000 extra jobs.
‘I believe there is so much potential to improve people's quality of lives, and bring health benefits for everyone (children, the elderly, and people returning from work) that I think the government should examine it properly.’
Rebecca is proposing to investigate a return to the situation, throughout Britain, between 1968 and 1971 when, during the oil crisis, clocks stayed on British Summer Time (renamed British Standard Time) throughout the year. However, in her Bill, clocks would still be moved forward by an hour in Summer, as is currently the case. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) would effectively become redundant, and the country would use BST in the Autumn/Winter and GMT+2 in the Spring and Summer months.
Britain abandoned the use of Winter BST in 1972 because of the increased risk to Scottish children going to school in the dark.
If Rebecca’s Bill is passed, and the results of its analysis are positive, the Secretary of State will be required to introduce a trial of the proposed changes.
Rebecca is also contributing towards national decision making since being appointed to the House of Commons Select Committee on Business, Innovation and Skills on 24th June.
Mrs Harris said: ‘These are difficult times for all businesses, and I hope that through my membership of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee, I will be able to not only represent the needs of all businesses in Castle Point, but also help to promote the high skilled, well paid, jobs for young people in the Borough.’
... (02/07/2010, Press & Journal) - Fears rise over bid to shift clocks forward
... (06/08/2010, Fleet Directory) - Essex MP wins top award from national road safety charity
... (12/08/2010, Telegraph) - David Cameron considers double summertime
I cannot help thinking that this is a bit of an old chestnut. I remember the oil crisis, and I also remember being pleased to get the lighter mornings back when GMT was reestablished in 72.
ReplyDeleteWhat I fear is that we might end-up with some hotchpotch scheme with half hour changes 4 times a year!