DARK winter nights could be coming to an end if West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer has his way.

He wants to stop the clocks going back.

Sir Michael has put down a question in Parliament to Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, asking him whether he will consider maintaining British Summer Time throughout the year as an energy-saving measure. The question is set for an answer on Monday, October 9, when MPs return from the summer recess.

Sir Michael said the effect of the clocks going back one hour to Greenwich Mean Time - which is due to happen this year on Sunday, October 29 - is to greatly increase the demand for lighting and heating in the late afternoon.

The MP first wrote to ministers pushing the issue about six years ago and said he had brought up the issue again as a result of the ongoing and increasing concerns over global warming.

He added: "My own view is changing the clocks back is a nonsense as it's quite clear people use more energy, which outweighs the extra light we gain in the mornings which, particularly in mid-winter, is very little. One side effect of any reduced demand for light and heating, as a result of staying on British Summer Time, would be a beneficial impact on global warming."

Sir Michael said the extra energy used was "considerable" but did not have a specific idea of how much. He has asked Mr Darling to put a figure on the increased demand for energy.

British Summer Time was introduced as a wartime measure in 1916 to promote greater efficiency in the use of daylight hours and artificial lighting and continued through peacetime.

A spokesman for the Department for Trade and Industry said an opinion paper had come out on the issue in 1989 and it was debated in Parliament in June 2004 following a Private Member's Bill introduced by former MP for Bexleyheath and Crawford Nigel Beard.

However, he said the Government opposed the Bill because it brought forward no new arrangements for changes to the current system.

He added: "We see no reason to change the existing arrangements as we consider it to be a satisfactory compromise between those who prefer light evenings and those who prefer light mornings.

"We've consulted on it previously and have no plans to do so again at the moment."

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