Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating an additional bank holiday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VJ Day.

The Government regularly receives requests for additional bank and public holidays to commemorate a variety of occasions, for example, cultural, historical and military events. However, there are no current plans to create another bank holiday. The cost to the economy of additional bank holiday remains considerable. The estimated cost to the economy for a one-off bank holiday for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was £1.2bn.

The Government recognises the importance of VJ Day, and celebrations will take place to celebrate the 75^th Anniversary which falls on Saturday 15 August 2020.