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Proceeding contribution from Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party) in the House of Commons on Friday, 20 January 2012. It occurred during Debate on bill on Daylight Saving Bill.


Daylight Saving Bill

The hon. Gentleman mentions the claim that the provisions would ““make the nation happier””. As a result of information that I received from Portugal, it occurred to me yesterday that a measure of happiness might be a country's divorce rate. So I got my researchers, Christopher Mullins-Silverstein and Xavier Solano, to approach the House of Commons Library and ask for the UK's divorce rate figures during the trial period from 1968 to 1970. There was a small but significant spike in the divorce rate, which fell back down again after the trial period was over. I am not sure whether the divorce rate is an indicator of happiness—I suppose it could be argued either way—but it certainly went up at that time. Perhaps the morning irritability that I have mentioned was present at the breakfast tables of the United Kingdom, and perhaps it tipped a few people over—


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
538 c1011 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Devolution Northern Ireland Pupils Scotland Safety Wales Roads Sports Research Tourism Summertime
Legislation
Daylight Saving Bill 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk