Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will establish an additional public holiday for St George's Day.

The Government regularly receives requests for additional bank and public holidays to commemorate a variety of occasions – such as cultural, historical, military and religious events.

While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday remains considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2bn.

The current pattern of bank holidays is well established and accepted and we have no plans to change it.