§ 81. Captain W. BENNasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the total amount that has been spent on posters and circulars printed by Government Departments since the General Election in reference to the present indus- 1095 trial difficulties or other such questions; whether they bear an imprint showing their source of origin; and on what Votes the money has been granted?
Mr. YOUNGThe time and labour which would be involved in preparing a statement of the cost of posters and circulars separately would be considerable, and I hope the hon. and gallant Member will accept the following general answer:
The total amount spent on Government publicity, including posters and circulars, in connection with industrial disputes since the last General Election is £111,460, namely:
With regard to the second part of the question, it is the practice for the imprint to show the source of origin. The cost of publicity has been borne on the Emergency Services Votes accounted for by the Home Office.
£ (a) Railway industry dispute, autumn, 1919 43,710 (b) Coal industry dispute, autumn, 1920 11,750 (c) Coal industry dispute, 1921 (approximately to date) 56,000 £111,460
§ Captain BENNDo the figures the hon. Gentleman has given include the cost of placarding the portraits of Members of the Government, and is he aware that in the coal industry dispute there is no imprint whatever on the posters?
Mr. YOUNGI do not know to which part of the publicity costs the hon. and gallant Gentleman refers in the first part of his supplementary question. In the answer I have given the figures are inclusive of all parts of the publicity costs. If there are any particular cases as regards the imprint, as to which my information is not quite the same as his, I shall be interested to have my attention drawn to them.
§ Captain BENNIf the hon. Gentleman looks at any of these posters and sees that there is no imprint, will he see that the poster is made in accordance with the answer he has given?