§ Mr. CROFTasked if it is the recognised practice for Ministers to issue election addresses to their constituents from their offices on officially stamped stationery, and to have the postage defrayed at the public expense?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe answer is in the negative.
§ Mr. CROFTIs it not the fact that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture stated that he had so used Treasury paper? By whose error were the letters sent out and franked, and was the cost included in the election expenses?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIt is true——I understand from my hon. Friend—that by the error of the Private Secretary to the Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Agriculture Stationery Office paper was used, and a number of the communications were franked. But before this matter was brought in any way to public attention 289 the error had been discovered by the Parliamentary Secretary, the cost both of the paper and of despatching the letters bad been repaid to the Departments concerned by my hon. Friend, and there I should have thought the matter ended.