HC Deb 26 May 1936 vol 312 cc1834-6
68. Mr. NEIL MACLEAN

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will place in the Library, for the benefit of Scottish Members, Appendix III to Command Paper 4728, 1934, which was not included when the Command Paper was published giving the reports on the conditions in depressed areas?

Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEAD

As a result of a question addressed to the Prime Minister on 13th November, 1934, the hon. Member was given facilities for studying this document, and I shall be glad to accord similar facilities to any other Member who may be interested.

Mr. MACLEAN

Ought not Members of Parliament to be provided with facilities for studying this Appendix inside the House? Seeing that it is an appendix to a report the expenses of preparing which were paid by the House, should not Members here who have read the other appendices to the report be allowed to read this one as well?

Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEAD

The hon. Gentleman will remember that there was no desire at all to hide anything or to conceal anything from hon. Members as a whole. The point was that these appendices were extremely voluminous, containing masses of figures. The main deductions from the appendices were included in the general report, but it was not considered to be worth the expense of publishing these very full and detailed statistical appendices for general distribution. If the hon. Gentleman wishes that some further facilities other than coming to the Ministry to read them should be given, I will certainly consider any suggestions he may make, but I think the House should realise that there is no desire to hide anything from anybody; it is merely a question of expense, and the extremely detailed nature of the appendices.

Mr. MACLEAN

Was not this report prepared in typewritten form, and cannot a typewritten copy be placed in the Library for Scottish Members to study?

Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEAD

I have already told the hon. Member that any suggestion, such as the one that he now

makes, for better facilities than are now accorded, will be considered in my Department.