SIR GILBERT PARKERI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether some years ago the Treasury issued to public Departments a list of newspapers from which all Conservative and Unionist journals were excluded, with instructions that official advertisements were to be sent only to the papers mentioned in the list; and whether any modification of this list was made when the late Government came into power.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. GEORGE WHITELEY,) Yorkshire, W.R., PudseyI am not answerable for the actions of my predecessors, nor have I the necessary documents to enable me to ascertain the historical facts. If the hon. Member will exert his influence to obtain for me a copy of the list of newspapers issued by the late Government, of which there is no trace on the official files, I shall be very pleased to scrutinise it and give him my opinion upon it.