§ Mr. COURTHOPEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that His Majesty's Stationery Office now refuse, in the case of the Reports of Departmental Committees, to print the marginal reference numbers, which have in the past formed a valuable addition to similar Reports; and whether, in view of the fact that, without such reference numbers, it is impossible to study a Report in conjunction with the published minutes of evidence and appendices, and that the value and public interest of both Report and Minutes of Evidence are thereby greatly diminished, he will sanction the printing of the usual marginal reference numbers in the case of the Interim Report of the Departmental Committee on Swine Fever, which is now ready to go to press?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe use of marginal notes was very carefully considered by the Select Committee on Publications, who recommended that such notes should either be entirely abandoned or be very sparingly used (Section 6 of their 1907 Report H.C. 272). A Treasury Circular was-issued to Departments calling attention to-this and other recommendations, which have since been adopted in dealing with the Reports of Royal Commissions and other public bodies.