§ 44. Viscount SANDONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the interests of economy, he can arrange that the English version only of foreign treaties and agreements should be published in Command Papers, as is already done in certain cases; and what the average cost is annually of this not being done?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Godfrey Locker-Lampson)The average annual cost of printing texts in foreign languages in Parliamentary Papers of Foreign Office origin is about £50. I am unable to accept my Noble Friend's suggestion that the texts of treaty engagements with foreign countries should be laid before Parliament in English only, When a governing or authoritative text is in another language than English, that text must be made generally available both for diplomatic and legal purposes.