§ 26. Sir W. Davisonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, by reason of the great length of the Finance Bill, running into 105 pages, he will consider, both for the convenience of the public and having regard to the desirability of saving paper, having the Bill, when it becomes an Act, printed in five separate parts, which could be purchased separately, as large numbers of persons are only particularly interested in certain parts of the Measure?
§ Captain CrookshankI doubt whether my hon. Friend's suggestion would be for the general convenience; but, in any case, the Act of Parliament would have to be 1257 printed as a whole, and it is considered that further prints of the Act and Schedules in separate parts would add to the costs of production, without the prospect of any material saving in paper.
§ Sir W. DavisonIs my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that some time ago the Official Report was printed in sections, so that Members interested in certain parts need not have the whole; and is he aware that Income Tax takes up 14 pages of the Finance Bill, and that people interested in Income Tax have, to take another 91 pages?
§ Mr. DenmanDoes my right hon. and gallant Friend realise that the Excess Profits Tax proposals, as printed, are legislation by reference in its most incomprehensible form, and that the E.P.T. section consolidated and printed as a whole would be of great value?
§ Captain CrookshankThat is quite another question. As I have explained, we have to publish the Act, anyhow; and if we then published separate bits of it we should use up a great deal more paper than we do.