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Proceeding contribution from Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Friday, 3 December 2010. It occurred during Debate on bill on Daylight Saving Bill.


Daylight Saving Bill

My hon. Friend makes one of the most powerful points for this argument, and it cannot be refuted by any Member or any person in any part of the country. Lives will be saved, as they have been proven to have been saved, through the clock change. Let me further the argument on how our lives will change. Schoolchildren would also benefit if we transferred that hour of light from the morning to the afternoon. In London, they would benefit from 233 hours of available extra daylight between 4.30 pm and either sunset or bedtime taken at 8.30 pm. That is 233 hours when activity could take place, after-school events could happen and, as my hon. Friend just mentioned, people could travel far more safely than they are able to do when it is dark. Those arguments are also why Help the Aged says that it wants this change. At the moment, darkness acts as a guillotine on when the elderly are out; as soon as it gets dark, they lock the doors and close up shop. They are denied the opportunity to spend time in the town centre doing recreational activities or working in the garden—darkness comes and that is it.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
519 c1119-20 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Children Devolved matters Agriculture Costs Business Accidents Environment Energy Electricity Northern Ireland Scotland Schools Republic of Ireland Safety Wales Roads Tourism Summertime Time zones Time Carbon emissions Portugal
Legislation
Daylight Saving Bill 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk