§ MR. H. C. F. LUTTRELL (Devon, Tavistock)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether Ministers have the privilege of returning their corrected proofs of the Parliamentary Debates post free, and, if so, whether it would be possible to give to other Members of the House like treatment?
§ MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General is not aware that Ministers have any privilege of returning their corrected proofs of the Parliamentary Debates, as such, post free. It is no doubt the case, however, that proofs of Ministers' speeches pass post free when sent among the other officially certified correspondence from their Departments, each Minister of course judging upon his own responsibility when the proofs are entitled to pass in this manner as being sent upon the public service.
§ MR. LUTTRELLIs it not the fact that Ministers can return their proofs without payment?
§ MR. HANBURYEven if that is so, I do not think that it follows that the privilege should be extended to all Mem- 204 bers. I do not see why a distinction should be drawn between correspondence of this kind and the ordinary correspondence of a private Member.