§ Mr. WALTER BAKERI want to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether you are aware that the Index to Questions which used to be kept in the Library has been discontinued on the ground of expense; and whether, having regard to the absence of any reference to recent Questions, and the great inconvenience caused thereby, you will have your decision reconsidered in regard to this matter?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Index to Questions which was kept in the Library was discontinued, as the hon. Member rightly says, on the ground of expense. At the suggestion of the Treasury, a careful note was kept of the numbers consulting it over two separate periods of five weeks in 1925, from which it appeared that the average number of inquiries per week was about 15. At the rate of remuneration paid for making the index the cost of each inquiry worked out at 6s. 8d. In view of the laborious nature of the work of compiling the index, the rate of remuneration (£150 per annum) did not seem excessive, but the use made of it by Members seemed insufficient to justify the expense. I decided, therefore, that the Index should be discontinued in 1925, and no fresh grounds have appeared for reconsidering my decision.
§ Mr. BAKERAre you aware, Mr. Speaker, that the absence of this Index bears more heavily upon the poorer Members of the House? While the Treasury may secure a small economy, it does place upon the shoulders of individual Members of this House a very heavy task if they are to do their work as efficiently as they are endeavouring to do it. For these reasons, I trust you will have this matter reconsidered, because it is a matter of importance to the poorer Members of the House.
§ Mr. R. MORRISONProbably the reason why the index was not used to a much larger extent last year was the fact that there was insufficient publicity given to its existence, and actually during the short time of its existence a very large number of Members were unaware of its existence. Had more publicity been given to the fact that this index had been prepared, I feel sure more interest would have been taken in it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI cannot agree with that. It was at the request of hon. Members that this experiment was made, and I think hon. Members were well aware of the facilities that were being provided. When the experiment had had a sufficient trial, I was unable to justify the original charge made for it, and I am afraid I cannot try it twice over.