Business of the House

Alex Mayer Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Playgrounds are very important for local communities and children. It is important that children have somewhere safe to play, and it is distressing to hear about the state of the playgrounds in the hon. Gentleman’s area. It is very much for the local authority, whatever disputes it may have with the water authority or anybody else, to get on and improve that. This would probably be a useful topic for a Westminster Hall or Adjournment debate, because I am sure others in the House would want to air similar concerns.

[Alex Mayer (Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard) (Lab)]

This weekend, the clocks go back, and overnight we will be plunged once again into darker and gloomier evenings, but there is another way: we could embrace our wartime predecessors. Winston Churchill set up a system whereby we had lighter evenings all year round. It would cut energy usage, and so cut bills, and would boost the tourism and hospitality sector. Would the Leader of the House consider granting a debate, in Government time, on a proposal that I think would really bring hope into every heart?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. She has done so before, and she is an avid campaigner on this matter. The Government still believe that the current daylight saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the United Kingdom, so we do not have plans to introduce double summer time or make any other such changes. However, I do understand and appreciate my hon. Friend’s desire to help farmers and tourists by turning the clocks back two hours, in contrast to some on the other side of the House, who want to turn the clocks back to 1979.