St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007
Encyclopedia
The St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007 is an Act
of the Scottish Parliament
that officially designates St. Andrew's Day
(30 November) to be a bank holiday
in Scotland
.
, Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Falkirk West
in 2003. The first reading of the bill was rejected in 2005 by the Parliament; with the Scottish Executive
opposed to the idea of another bank holiday, and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce claiming that an extra holiday would cost the country £400 million in lost productivity
.
In May 2005, Samantha Mungall, Iain Scherr and Alexandra Gill - three first year students at Clyde Valley High - presented a petition before the Public Petitions Committee to make this a national holiday. Their petition was discussed and was accepted, and this propelled the bill along.
The Bill was sent back to the Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee, and was eventually supported by Jack McConnell
, the then First Minister
after a compromise agreement was reached whereby the holiday would not be an additional entitlement. The First Minister stated that he believed that employers and employees should mark the day with a holiday, but that this should be as a substitute for an existing local holiday, rather than an additional one.
The Bill was passed by the Parliament on 29 November 2006, and received Royal Assent
on 15 January 2007.
which sets out the official bank holidays for England
and Wales
, Scotland and Northern Ireland
.
The 1971 Act does not give employers the right to a day off work, nor does it require banks to close. However the 1971 Act does give relief of obligation to make payments on days specified as bank holidays.
If St Andrew's Day is on a Saturday or Sunday, the next Monday is designated as the bank holiday.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
that officially designates St. Andrew's Day
St. Andrew's Day
St Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew. It is celebrated on 30 November.Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day...
(30 November) to be a bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Background
The Bill that led to the Act being passed was first proposed by Dennis CanavanDennis Canavan
Dennis Andrew Canavan is a Scottish politician, and was an Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk West.-Early life:He was born in Cowdenbeath....
, Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for Falkirk West
Falkirk West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Falkirk West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
in 2003. The first reading of the bill was rejected in 2005 by the Parliament; with the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
opposed to the idea of another bank holiday, and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce claiming that an extra holiday would cost the country £400 million in lost productivity
Productivity
Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production. Productivity is a ratio of what is produced to what is required to produce it. Usually this ratio is in the form of an average, expressing the total output divided by the total input...
.
In May 2005, Samantha Mungall, Iain Scherr and Alexandra Gill - three first year students at Clyde Valley High - presented a petition before the Public Petitions Committee to make this a national holiday. Their petition was discussed and was accepted, and this propelled the bill along.
The Bill was sent back to the Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee, and was eventually supported by Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
, the then First Minister
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
after a compromise agreement was reached whereby the holiday would not be an additional entitlement. The First Minister stated that he believed that employers and employees should mark the day with a holiday, but that this should be as a substitute for an existing local holiday, rather than an additional one.
The Bill was passed by the Parliament on 29 November 2006, and received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 15 January 2007.
Provisions
The Act amends the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, an Act of the Parliament of the United KingdomParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
which sets out the official bank holidays for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
The 1971 Act does not give employers the right to a day off work, nor does it require banks to close. However the 1971 Act does give relief of obligation to make payments on days specified as bank holidays.
If St Andrew's Day is on a Saturday or Sunday, the next Monday is designated as the bank holiday.