MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any person, and, if so, who, has been registered at Somerset House as the proprietor of The Labour Gazette; whether any arrangement has been made whereby the various Government Departments are to furnish to this journal information which they do not furnish to other journals; what amount of money has been expended so far in connection with the establishment of The Labour Gazette; and whether the expenditure will appear in any form; and, if so, in what form upon the Estimates?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe registration of The Labour Gazette rests with the Stationery Office, and I understand from that Office that it is unnecessary to register The Gazette at Somerset House, as it does not come within the definition of a newspaper contained in 44 & 45 Vict. c. 60. The arrangements made with the various Government Departments for the supply of information are fully set out in the Memorandum of the Labour Department laid before the House. If any expense is incurred in the printing and publishing The Labour Gazette, it will appear in the Votes of the Stationery Office in the usual way; but I do not anticipate there will be any beyond the gratuitous distribution of a certain number of copies. The Board of Trade Journal has cost nothing to the State for the last seven years, and The Labour Gazette has been so well received that I anticipate a similar result; 20,000 copies were taken the first day, and a further 20,000 have been printed.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTMay I ask whether it is intended that advertisements shall be inserted in The Labour Gazette, thus bringing it into competition with the journals of the country? I may remind the right hon. Gentleman that his Predecessor received a large deputation from the entire Press of the country on the subject.
§ MR. MUNDELLAI am going to act precisely on the line laid down by my Predecessor.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESWho is to be responsible for any libellous matter appearing in The Gazette? It seems to me that it already contains libellous matter.
§ THE SPEAKEROrder, order!
§ MR. MUNDELLAIt is not a proper question to put.