The parliamentary debate came about after an online petition calling for parents to be allowed to take children out of school for up to two seeks was signed by more than 120,000 people.

Steve Double the MP for St Austell and Newquay said the policy was unfair for a number of reasons.

He said it discriminated against people who worked in tourism industries, the public sector, and also those who cannot afford to pay for a holiday during the peak holiday season.

Holiday resorts are also losing business during the shoulder season, Double said.

Also speaking in the debate was the schools minister, Nick Gibb. He said there was a “widespread misunderstanding” that before 2013 parents could take their children out of school.

"If parents and schools want different term dates, we encourage them to discuss that with their local authority. Academies, foundation schools, voluntary-aided schools and foundation special schools can, even now, set their own term dates," he said.

He added: "I listened carefully to what he said but I do not accept that two weeks in each year of a child’s education is a drop in the ocean."