§ MR. A. C. MORTONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Department of the Woods and Forests make a charge of £3 for copying documents which can be done for 13s. 10d. by a first-class law stationer; and, whether he will have the charges made by the Department reduced?
§ SIR JOHN HIBBERTI understand that the documents to which my hon. Friend refers were not open to public inspection, and that copies were supplied to a private person purely as an act of favour. The charge in question covered, not merely copying the documents, but searching for and examining the Papers, and copying a plan, and I believe that for similar service an ordinary solicitor's fee would not be less than £5 5s.
§ MR. A. C. MORTONasked the right hon. Gentleman whether he was aware that besides the £3 referred to, a further charge of 3s. 4d. was charged for searches?
§ SIR JOHN HIBBERTI am not aware of that, but I do not think the charge is excessive.