A SUFFOLK MP is today continuing his campaign to shift clocks forward to save lives after quizzing government on what research has been carried out on the issue.
A SUFFOLK MP is today continuing his campaign to shift clocks forward to save lives after quizzing government on what research has been carried out on the issue.
Tim Yeo, Conservative MP for South Suffolk, feels so strongly about the issue he last year put forward a Daylight Bill to be made law.
The bid was unsuccessful although he told the Star he is determined to continue fighting his case after a parliamentary question tabled last week revealed government has no plans to conduct research into the issue.
Mr Yeo said: “Independent research shows significant benefits from making the change and I have been campaigning for it for some time.
“My suspicion is the government is aware of that but doesn't want to admit it therefore it is not publishing or commissioning research.”
The Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill would shift the clocks forward one hour throughout the year if he is successful, meaning that in the summer the time would be British Summer
Mr Yeo argues that by moving the clocks forward by one hour, schoolchildren and other people using the roads at around 4pm in winter would do so in daylight.
Meanwhile there should also be less of a surge in energy demand from people turning on the lights early in the afternoon.
Mr Yeo said: “According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents moving the clocks forward in this way would save over 100 lives every year by cutting the number of road accidents.
“And recent research from Cambridge University suggests it would also save energy by reducing demand for electricity and thereby address the threat of climate change by cutting carbon emissions.”
Answering Mr Yeo's parliamentary question, Patrick McFadden, Minister of State for the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, said: “There are no plans to change the current summer time arrangements or to undertake additional research as the government is not convinced that a change would be in the best interests of the UK.”
Would you be in favour of lighter evenings? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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