§ 46. Mr. TURTONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the cost incurred by the issue of bound volumes of Parliamentary Debates to Members during the last three years?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEThe face value, on the basis of the selling price to the general public, of the bound volumes of Parliamentary Debates issued to Members of the House of Commons during the last three years, was:
| £ | |||
| Session 1928 | … | … | 1,447 |
| Session 1928–29 | … | … | 1,183 |
| Session 1929–30 | … | … | 2,541 |
§ But the cost, in the sense of the saving that would be effected if the free issue of bound volumes were cancelled, would only be a small fraction of these figures.
§ Mr. TURTONWill the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the need for economy being so stringent, consider setting the highest example to the nation by charging Members at cost price for these volumes?
§ Mr. PETHICK - LAWRENCEThe practice is—I think hon. Members know—to ask Members not to have the bound volumes unless they wish to have them, but I think, if an hon. Member wishes to have the record of the Debates for Parliamentary purposes, he should be allowed to have them.
§ Mr. MARJORIBANKSIs the hon. Gentleman aware that an offer has been made by Members to pay for the bound volumes of the OFFICIAL REPORT and no notice has been taken of such offer?