HC Deb 27 July 1897 vol 51 cc1304-5

9. £25,090, to complete the sum for Charity Commission.—Agreed to.

10. £350,830, to complete the sum for Stationery and Printing.

DR. CLARK

I should like to ask the Secretary to the Treasury when the contract will end which we are now under with The Times for the reporting of the proceedings of the House?

* MR. HANBURY

At the end of the Session. The new contract comes into force next Session.

DR. CLARK

Will it be on the same terms?

* MR. HANBURY

Yes, practically on the same terms.

MR. FLYNN

called attention to the heavy expenditure incurred in connection with printing, instancing the case of the Public Health (Scotland) Bill, in which the majority of the Members of the House took no interest, but the bulky volume of Amendments to which were printed and issued day after day. In a case like that, a saving might be effected by the Amendments only being sent to those Members who expressed a desire to receive them.

MR. LOUGH

was not in favour of any curtailment in the documents sent to Members, saying that a case like the Public Health (Scotland) Bill, in which the interest was restricted to a few Members of the House, was of rare occurrence. He asked if any of the new contracts that had been entered into had been printed?

* MR. HANBURY

said that the contracts had been laid on the Table of the House, and those for Parliamentary printing had been printed and circulated. With regard to the suggestion as to the printing of Amendments to particular Bills, that was really a matter which did not come within the province of the Treasury at all. It was a matter for the authorities of the House; it was entirely in their hands.

MR. FLYNN

complained as to the way in which certain country papers obtained hold of documents long before Members. He did not know how that occurred.

DR. CLARK

said the explanation of the reprinting of certain papers was the habit of the Government when an Order of the Day was called was to say "this day."

Vote agreed to.

11. £13,904, to complete the sum for Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues, &c. Office.

Resolutions to be reported.

Motion made, and Question proposed, That a sum, not exceeding £13,000, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1898, for Her Majesty's Foreign and other Secret Services. Whereupon Motion made, and Question, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again,"—(Mr. Dillon)—put, and agreed to.

Resolutions to be reported upon Thursday; Committee also report Progress; to sit again To-morrow.