Household debt: Economic indicators
Debt levels affect how much households spend. Find the latest data on UK household debt, mortgage rates and insolvencies.

This note provides a short overview of the law relevant to rights to time off work during bank and public holidays. It also provides some background on the origin of bank holidays.
Bank and public holidays (811 KB , PDF)
This note sets out:
Bank holidays are set by statute; other public holidays such as Good Friday and Christmas Day are holidays by convention, often termed common law or public holidays. The terms are commonly used interchangeably, with “bank holidays” generally understood to refer to bank holidays set out in statute, royally proclaimed holidays and common law public holidays.
The legislation defining bank holidays concerns financial dealings; it does not provide rights to annual leave. A worker’s right, or lack thereof, to annual leave on these days derives from his contract. The 5.6 week statutory holiday entitlement is inclusive of bank holidays. Absent any contractual term to the contrary, an employer may require a worker to attend work on a bank holiday.
There are eight holidays in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Bank and public holidays (811 KB , PDF)
Debt levels affect how much households spend. Find the latest data on UK household debt, mortgage rates and insolvencies.
A debate on an e-petition proposal to require employers to offer career breaks for parents with a seriously ill child will take place in Westminster Hall on 3 February 2025 at 4.30pm.
In the 2023/24 academic year, there were 736,500 people participating in an apprenticeship in England, with 339,600 apprenticeship starts and 178,200 apprenticeship achievements.