There could be good news for winter fast cruisers with the projected changes to the dayight hours.The campaign for extended daylight hours is expected to gain a boost with an endorsement from the Government's official tourism strategy.

The strategy, due for publication at the end of February, will say that so-called "double summertime" should be considered as part of a drive to increase tourism to the UK.

But sources at the Department for Culture stressed that any change would be dependent on the agreement of devolved authorities, including in Scotland where many are opposed to a move which would make their mornings darker.

Under "double summertime", the UK would switch the clocks forward an hour from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the winter and then put them a further hour forward in the summer. It would mean the sun rising an hour later than is currently the case, but remaining up for an hour longer in the evenings.

"And we would have longer, lighter evenings."