Bank holidays and British summertime
History on the policy and legislation that have created the current arrangements for bank holidays and British summertime.
Guidance on bank holiday dates and British summertime can be found on Directgov:
Directgov Bank Holidays and British Summertime guidance
Joint impact assessment with Department for Culture Media and Sport to explore the costs and benefits to the UK economy of the extra bank holiday for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
2012 Diamond Jubilee Extra Bank Holiday Impact Assessment
Bank holidays
Bank holidays were first introduced by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871. This designated four holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five in Scotland.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland these were:
- Easter Monday
- first Monday in August
- 26th December
- Whit Monday (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
In Scotland these were:
- New Year's Day
- Good Friday
- first Monday in May
- first Monday in August
- Christmas Day
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, both Christmas Day and Good Friday were traditional days of rest and Christian worship (as were Sundays) and did not need to be included in the Act.
Two additional days were subsequently appointed in Northern Ireland:
- St Patrick's Day (17 March) by a special Act of Parliament in 1903
- 12 July (Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690), by the Governor of Northern Ireland in 1926
The 1871 Act was repealed 100 years later and its provisions incorporated into the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, which remains the statutory basis for bank holidays.
Bank holidays designated since the 1971 Act are appointed each year by Royal Proclamation. The Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne bank holiday is proclaimed annually by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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Historic changes to Bank Holiday dates
Since 1971 the following changes to Bank Holiday dates have been introduced:
1971
Whit Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (which could fall anywhere between 11 May and 14 June) was formally replaced by a fixed spring holiday on the last Monday in May.
The last Monday in August was formally made a bank holiday in place of the first Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In both cases, this followed a trial period of the new arrangements between 1965 and 1970.
1973
2 January was created an additional bank holiday in Scotland by the 1971 Act. However, the provision did not come into effect until 1973.
1974
New Year's Day became an additional bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Boxing Day became an additional bank holiday in Scotland.
1978
The first Monday in May in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the last Monday in May in Scotland, became additional bank holidays.
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British Summer Time
Since 1981 EC Directives have prescribed the start and end dates of summer time in all Member States. To-date there have been eight Directives which have set summer-time arrangements for fixed periods.
The Summer Time Act 1972 sets the appropriate dates in the UK and summer-time orders have been made as necessary to implement the European Directives.
The 9th EC Directive prescribes the start and end dates of summer time as the last Sundays in March and October respectively. These dates are in line with those already operating in the United Kingdom. The 9th Directive provides that these start and end dates should apply indefinitely.
Implementation of the 9th Directive in the UK is through an Order in Council under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, which amended the relevant sections of the Summer Time Act 1972. The Order came into force on 11 March 2002.
Proposals have been made from time to time about changing the UK's time zone to Central European Time. However, any changes would need to have full regard to the effect on:
- business and transport links with other countries
- health and safety issues such as road traffic accidents
- social and community life
Although there could be some advantages, adoption of Central European Time in the UK would result in later sunrise in winter, affecting particularly outdoor workers and people in the north of England and Scotland.
There are no current plans to change the UK’s time zone.
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