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Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay Excerpts

Thursday 24th June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Howe of Aberavon]

My Lords—

[Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay]

My Lords—

[Noble Lords]

Lord Howe!

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Wilcox]

That is why we continue to look at these matters and consider the evidence that we have rather than the feelings that we have. The two departments talk to each other; they both briefed me today.

[Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay]

My Lords, following the point so well made by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Howe, does the Minister accept that it would protect jobs for Britain as a whole if we were in the same time zone as 374 million people in west and central Europe, who are our main trading partners, and not 15 million in Ireland and Portugal?

[Baroness Wilcox]

I am afraid we do not have evidence that agrees with that completely. If we did, we would act on it immediately and change the time zones. People have been trying to get this right for a very long time and we will continue to do so.