Daylight saving time (DST) – the process of moving the clock forward one hour in the summer – was introduced in Germany in 1916.

During the First World War it was a way to save energy resources (fewer electric lamps and less heating were needed on the lighter evenings) and to increase productivity.

Weeks after Germany introduced it, other countries adopted the idea, including Britain, where it was named British Summer Time (BST).

During the Second World War, Britain even had British double summer time, where the clocks were set forward two hours.

This meant that in winter, while the clock went back one hour, it was still one hour ahead of normal (GMT+1) to increase productivity.

Since then there have been discussions about whether British Summer Time should continue.

One of the biggest arguments for maintaining this is that the number of traffic accidents decreases significantly on the lighter evenings in the summer.

Farmers also make optimal use of the lighter evenings to be able to cultivate the land more.

Others argue that changing the clock twice a year is like giving the entire population minor jet lag, with an hour of sleep lost in the spring having an effect on our mental state, especially the day after.

There are currently no plans to change daylight saving time in Britain.