HC 562 The effect on energy usage of extending BST

Memorandum submitted by Mr Hayfield (BST 06)

Mr. Chairman, my name is Harry Hayfield and I am a resident in the constituency of the honourable member for Ceredigion Mr. Mark Williams. I am a member of an online astronomy forum and am also a self taught timezone expert and would like to contribute to the debate about extending BST in the United Kingdom.

Having read the discussions since the formation of the coalition government, the clear impression that I am getting is that the more northerly you are the less in favour you are of the scheme having read comments from the honourable member for the Western Isles (and I wish to apol o gise for not being able to spell or pronounce the Gaelic name for the honourable member's constituency) and the more southerly you are, the more likely to be in favour of it. My evidence therefore will be to address this by comparing the sunrise and sunset times using GMT, BST and the proposed SDST timezone for the locations of St. Mary's in the Isles of Sicilly and Lerwick in the Shetland Islands on Midsummer's and Midwinter's Day and comparing them with other locations on a similar latitude. I wish to declare first of all that both those locations are in constituencies represented by the Liberal Democrats and that I am also a member of that party (but have decided on those locations as being the most northerly and southerly parts of the United Kingdom)

St. Mary's on the Isles of Sicilly: 50° N 6°W

Midsummer's Day: Sunrise: 0416 GMT / 0516 BST / 0616 SDST Sunset: 2122 GMT / 2222 BST / 2322 SDST

Midwinter's Day: Sunrise: 0821 GMT / 0921 BST / 1021 SDST Sunset: 1704 GMT / 1804 BST / 1904 SDST

Port Cartier in Quebec, Canada: 50° N 65°W (all times local to Quebec time)

Midsummer's Day: Sunrise: 0417 Sunset: 2040

Midwinter's Day: Sunrise: 0723 Sunset: 1605

Lerwick in the Shetland Islands: 60° N 1°W

Midsummer's Day: Sunrise: 0240 GMT / 0340 BST / 0440 SDST Sunset: 2135 GMT / 2235 BST / 2335 SDST

Midwinter's Day: 0909 GMT / 1009 BST / 1109 SDST Sunset: 1459 GMT / 1559 BST / 1659 SDST

Seward in Alaska, United States: 60°N 150° W

Midsummer's Day: Sunrise: 0432 Sunset: 2327

Midwinter's Day: Sunrise: 1001 Sunset: 1551

I hope that the committee will consider this evidence when recommending a bill to Parliament and I would be more than happy to attend a committee hearing in the future on this subject.

October 2010