Beaches in Sussex could be packed for even more days of the year under plans to create extra bank holidays.

MPs have been urged to keep up with our European neighbours by giving people more days off work.

St George's Day on April 23 is one of the most popular suggestions in England for a new bank holiday.

Millions of people flock to the Sussex coast every holiday weekend. Tourists give a major boost to the county's economy as they make the most of the time off.

However, these breaks cost businesses outside the tourist industry millions of pounds.

The House of Commons debated how many bank holidays Britain should have compared with other European countries on Friday.

For the maximum number of bank holidays, Finland tops the chart where workers have a guaranteed 39 days paid leave, 11 more than Britain's meagre 28 days.

Junior trade and industry minister Gerry Sutcliffe said the Government had to balance the desire for more holidays with the cost to business of £200 billion a day.

Labour's John Grogan (Selby) asked at Commons Question Time: "Given that we're in one of those periods of the year where it's many weeks before the next bank holiday, given that most European countries have far more bank holidays than we do, given ministers' emphasis on a work-life balance ... isn't it time for ministers to show they've retained their joie de vivre and launch a consultation on the number and nature of our bank holidays?"

Mr Sutcliffe said during the past three months, his department had received six requests to make St George's Day a bank holiday, one request for a United Nations day of peace and another to recognise a Bengali holiday.

He told MPs he was attracted by extra holidays but said: "You have to work out the balances between the costs and whether you should have extra bank holidays but we will keep it under consideration."

Plaid Cymru's Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) called for St David's Day on March 1 to be declared a public holiday in the principality.

Mr Sutcliffe rejected his request to meet a delegation from the Welsh Assembly to discuss the issue, saying: "I fear I could be meeting large numbers of delegations if I gave way on this particular issue."

He said people who want St David's Day to be made a holiday should write to him.

People in Sussex backed the call for more bank holidays. Samantha Ancell, 37, of Sussex Square, Brighton, said: "I definitely think we should be in line with everyone else.

"St George's Day is actually a really good idea, maybe D-Day as well.

"I normally go to the beach or just have a rest on bank holidays so I'm all for more of them."

Brighton Pavilion MP David Lepper said: "I have certainly noticed some parts of Europe do seem to have more bank holidays than we do. Often it's because of a Catholic background or they have All Saints Day, which we don't have in this country.

"I would like to see some of our holidays perhaps spread out more."

Kerry Harley, 36, of Vernon Terrace, Brighton, agreed bank holidays should be spread more evenly through the year. She said: "I think this country definitely needs more time off.

"People work so hard and don't really get much time off. We should have a siesta like they do in Europe."

William Melzer, 23, of Lewes Road, Brighton, said he thought Europe was likely to take Britain's lead and reduce the number of holidays their workers have.

He said: "It's a bit of a problem with labour laws but I think Europe will follow us and actually have less days off.

"I think we should have more but not for any particular reason."

Monday July 12, 2004