A Bank Holiday to celebrate the work of the Armed Forces is under consideration by the Government as part of a drive to improve relations between the military and the public.

Legislation is also to be introduced to make it a criminal offence to discriminate against military personnel in Service dress or combat fatigues. This is an attempt to encourage members of the Armed Forces to wear their uniforms in public as often as possible.

Anyone who physically attacks a serviceman or servicewoman in uniform will also be charged with an “aggravated offence”, to underline the seriousness now attached to the well-being and security of Armed Forces personnel when in the public eye.

The recommendations are in an official report, National Recognition of Our Armed Forces, drawn up by Quentin Davies, the MP and former Tory defence spokesman, who switched to Labour in June last year. He was asked by Gordon Brown to investigate ways of improving the relationship between the military and the civilian public.

Mr Davies said that the military and public had drifted apart in recent years, claiming that society had become more “individualistic, hedonistic and materialistic” compared with the values of self-sacrifice shown by the Armed Forces.

The creation of an Armed Forces Day, which he envisaged could be merged with Veterans’ Day, would not detract from the significance of the annual Remembrance Sunday. This would remain a “precious national institution”, he added.

The report says that if the Government decides to create a public holiday in honour of the military, it should be on a Friday or Monday at the end of June. If not a Bank Holiday, then it should be a Saturday so that school-children and most working adults would be available to attend events. Senior military figures have already expressed support for a national day of celebration for the Armed Forces.

Among his 40 recommendations published yesterday, Mr Davies suggested that lessons on the role of the Armed Forces in society should be included in the national curriculum, and that more Combined Cadet Corps should be set up in schools. He also recommended more visits to schools by representatives of the Armed Forces, although not for recruiting purposes.

Of the 6,400 secondary schools in the United Kingdom, 260 have cadet corps and most of them are in grammar and independent schools. Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: “I believe combined cadet forces can make a huge difference to the young people who join them, and it’s also important for them to understand the diverse role of the Armed Forces.”

The report also proposes the launch of a modern version of the Royal Tournament, which was scrapped in 1999 because of the cost and pressure on Service personnel. Mr Davies said that it would not be practicable to revive the Royal Tournament itself, but suggested a possible link-up with television journalists and other interested parties, such as Ross Kemp and Jeremy Clarkson.

Bob Ainsworth, the Armed Forces Minister, confirmed that the Government had accepted all the recommendations in the report.

In a foreword to the report, the Prime Minister says that he believes the public is fully behind the men and women of the Armed Forces but he feels that there is a need for greater understanding of “the work they do in our name”.

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