Changes to UK Time Zone

Move UK from GMT to CET?

Proposed Changes to UK Time Zone

 There are some discussions to change the UK’s time zone.

Move clocks in-line with Continental Europe

Proposals have been made from time to time about changing the UK's time zone to Central European Time.  However, any changes would need to have full regard to the effect on business and transport links with other countries, on health and safety issues such as road traffic accidents, and on social and community life.   Although there could be some advantages, adoption of Central European Time in the UK would result in later sunrise in winter, affecting particularly outdoor workers and people in the north of England and Scotland.

The Daylight Saving Bill 2010-11

The Bill requires the UK Government to conduct a cross-departmental analysis of the potential costs and benefits of advancing time by one hour for all, or part of, the year.

If this analysis found that a clock change would benefit the UK, the Bill requires that the Government initiate a trial clock change to determine the full implications.

Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Rebecca Harris MP

Over the past decade there have been several attempts to shift clocks forward for one hour throughout the year, so that more daylight would be experienced in the evenings rather than the mornings. There could be a range of benefits from such a change including: fewer people killed on the roads; improved health and wellbeing; an economic stimulus; and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

A number of commentators are not convinced by the supporting evidence and claims, or believe that more information is required before a decision can be supported.  There are particular concerns in Scotland about the implications of the darker mornings that a change would cause.

The Daylight Saving Bill 2010-11 is a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Rebecca Harris MP.   The Bill requires the Government to conduct a cross-departmental analysis of the potential costs and benefits of advancing time by one hour for all, or part of, the year.  If this analysis found that a clock change would benefit the UK, the Bill requires that the UK Government initiate a trial clock change to determine the full implications.

Daylight Saving Bill Vote

The Daylight Saving Bill was introduced in a Private Members' Bill introduced by Rebecca Harris (Conservative) on Friday 3rd December 2010.  The basic outline is a plan to set our clocks to GMT+1 in the Winter and GMT+2 in the Summer for a trial period of three years.

The potential benefits, outlined by supporters such as 'Lighter Later', are as follows:

• They believe it would cut CO2 pollution significantly – the equivalent to more than 50,000 cars driving all the way round the world each year.

• It would make the roads safer, therefore reducing casualties.

• Electricity bills would be lowered by reducing peak power demand.

• It would create new jobs in leisure and tourism which would boost the economy.

• Reduction in crime.

• Improve the nation's health by giving people the chance to be outside more in the evening.

• The quality of life for older people would be significantly enhanced.

• It would reduce the harmful effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Lighter Later is a campaign being organised as part of 10:10 – a project to achieve a 10% cut in the UK's carbon emissions in 2010.

For more information: www.lighterlater.org

However.

Some have voiced arguments against such a trial. The Daily Mail have come out strongly against it, describing it as a switch to 'Berlin' time.

The potential downsides of the scheme are:

• The change would impose darker mornings on the country, most notably in Scotland where the Sun would not rise until almost 10am in some areas.

• Portugal had an unfortunate foray into similar territory in the 1990s and it did not work out well for them. It was a massively unpopular experiment and considered to be a costly and spectacular failure. Poorer exam results in schools were attributed to children not being able to sleep because of the lighter evenings. They found that there was also an increase in stress levels and insomnia. There were also more road accidents in the dark winter mornings.

• Some believe that the longer summer evenings could lead to more outdoor drinking and anti-social behaviour.

• Millions of people across Britain would have to travel to school or work in the dark. Some argue that we need natural sunlight to 'get us going' in the mornings.

• There could be an increase in traffic accidents in the morning.

• The Daily Mail sum it up in suitably passionate words, describing Central European Time as 'a system originally designed to suit the needs of German industry and soldiers.'

For more information: www.DailyMail.co.uk/news/article-1333760/Portugal-say-switching-Berlin-Time-catastrophe.html

The Daylight Saving  Bill was debated at Second Reading on 3 December 2010. The House of Commons voted for  the Bill to be sent to a Public Bill Committee that will scrutinise the Bill clause by clause.   For complete details see the UK Government website: services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/daylightsaving.html

Changes to UK Time Zone

 There are some discussions to change the UK’s time zone.

Have your say - take our Opinion Poll

Should UK move from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to Central European Time (CET)? vote here

wwp.GreenwichMeanTime.co.uk

Summer time in the UK is known as British Summer Time (BST)