Plans to move UK clocks forward during the winter months to ensure lighter evenings have received a boost after the private members bill passed the second reading at the House of Commons.

The campaign to introduce 'double summertime' has been supported by the Lighter Later group, which argues that moving clocks forward would boost tourism and make roads safer.

Organisations taking part in the Lighter Later campaign include the Sport and Recreation Alliance (formerly CCPR); British Beer and Pub Association; the British Association of Leisure Parks and Attractions (BALPPA); Tourism Alliance; and Road Safety GB as well as companies such as Travelodge.

Tourism Alliance vice chair, Brigid Simmonds said: "This is very good news for the tourism, leisure and sports industries. Not only would this Bill help extend the tourism season, it would also support the government's health agenda by encouraging more people to undertake outdoor activity."

Martin Barratt, chief executive of BALPPA, added: "Our organisation has worked for six years to promote this change to our legislation, so the success is particularly gratifying.

"The benefits to tourism alone are immense; an estimated £3.5bn boost to our economy and the creation of some 80,000 new jobs, but the other benefits, such as the prevention of deaths on the road and energy saving, are just as important to us.

"However, given the difficulties being experienced by our industry we would have liked to have seen some real support from the government, who failed to get behind this bill.

"Supporting this bill would have cost nothing, and would have positively impacted the tourism industry through both increased revenues and new job creation."