British Time Harmonisation

Lord Jones of Birmingham Excerpts

Wednesday 11th July 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, the point about that is that people who trade with Europe are already getting up an hour earlier.

[Lord Jones of Birmingham]

Will the Minister please comment on the fact that everything should be done, in this House and the other place, to ensure that at this time business has every single break to allow us to create jobs and make profit to pay tax? Will he reflect on the fact that, at the end of the day, if we are going to be internationally competitive, we have to be internationally attractive? That would mean that we could get the reward from the infrastructure investment in high-speed rail and in Eurotunnel. For once, let us sink a little bit of nationalism into the better cause of actually making money for the country.

[Lord De Mauley]

That was a wide-ranging question, my Lords, but I always listen to the noble Lord with great respect and interest.