§ Sir HENRY CRAIKasked the Prime Minister if he will cause instructions to be issued to the various Departments of State that Papers relating to important matters of administration, upon which this House is entitled to express an opinion and in which the constituents of hon. Members are closely interested, shall be supplied to Members of this House in the first place, and that the practice of issuing such Papers primarily to the newspaper Press and only subsequently to this House shall cease?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe hon. Member is mistaken in supposing that there is any such practice as that to which he refers in the latter part of his question. The ordinary and proper procedure is that Parliamentary Papers are supplied to Members of this House in the first instance.
§ Sir H. CRAIKIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that since the unfortunate occurrence in regard to the Memorandum on the Development Bill an important Paper of the Board of Education has been issued to and commented upon by the newspaper Press generally, though it is not available for distribution?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI do not know about that. I do not know that it is a Parliamentary Paper.
§ Mr. FLYNNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that Parliamentary Papers are sometimes distributed three or four or more days after they appear in the Press?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat ought not to be the case.
§ Sir H. CRAIKWill the right hon. Gentleman issue some instructions so as to ensure that the practice is carried out?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAfter what I have said I hope the practice will be observed.