§ 49. Mr. DOUGLAS HALLasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the growing practice of public Departments publishing leaflets and other memoranda supposed to be explanatory of Acts, such as the Shops Act and the National Insurance Act; and, seeing that the publication of such documents amounts to an interference with 856 the functions of the Courts of Justice to interpret law, whether, in cases where the Courts of Justice interpret the law differently to the opinions expressed in such official memoranda, persons who have relied upon the information contained in such memoranda will be indemnified by the Government in respect of any costs that they may be called upon to pay?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)In the case of most recent social legislation it has been found desirable by Departments concerned to issue leaflets and memoranda explaining in plain language the effect of the Acts to those persons specially affected by them. This policy has been continued in the case of the Shops Act and the Insurance Act. The publication of such documents in no way interferes with the function of the Courts of Justice to interpret law, nor am I aware of any case in which persons have been injured by information in such official memoranda.