British Summer Time (BST) is the daylight saving time in effect in the United Kingdom between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October each year. BST is the same as Central European Time: one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+1.
Until February 2002, the dates for the beginning and end of BST each year were mandated by the British Parliament. After that date the Summer Time Order 2002 permanently changed it to match European rules for daylight saving time.
Safety campaigners, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), have made recommendations that British Summer Time be maintained over the winter months, and that a "double summertime" be applied to the current British Summer Time period, making the UK two hours ahead of GMT during summer. ROSPA suggest that this would decrease the number of accidents that occur over this period as a result of the evenings being lighter, as was shown when the British Standard Time scheme was trialled between 1968 and 1971, when Britain remained on UTC+1 all year. ROSPA have called for the two year trial to be repeated with modern evaluation methods. This proposal is, however, opposed by farmers and other outdoor workers, and many residents of Scotland, since it would mean that in winter dawn would be delayed until 10 a.m. or later in northern Britain.