HC Deb 27 February 1899 vol 67 cc617-8
MR. COCHRANE (Ayrshire, N.)

I Leg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will make arrangements for the "Parliamentary Debates" to be delivered to Members of this House who sign a general Sessional Order, instead of continuing the present arrangement under which it is necessary for them to sign the Demand Form daily?

MR. HANBURY

No, Sir; it is an essential part of the arrangement that only those Reports shall be supplied for which Members specially apply. The object of the new arrangement is to carry out a suggestion made last Session and supported by the then Leader of the Opposition, that Members interested in particular current Debates should be able to obtain them for immediate reference. It is not intended to supply every Member of Parliament with a complete copy of "Hansard" gratis. Even in the case of ordinary Parliamentary papers the issue of the pink paper, to avoid unnecessary printing, was intended to prevent a general order requiring all papers to be sent indiscriminately.