§ 60. Mr. MacLarenasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply whether, in view of the shortage of paper and strawboard supplies, he will grant priority for such necessary supplies to publishers of school-books and educational text-books as will meet their minimum requirements?
§ Mr. Harold MacmillanDespite the shortage of paper and board, the allocations for book publishing are substantial, and I am not aware of any appreciable shortage of supply of books of the kind referred to.
§ Mr. MacLarenIs there not a number of complaints coming in from schools as to the bad condition of school books, and is there not an urgent demand for renewal? Also, may I remind the Minister of the difficulty facing publishers of very important university text-books?
§ Mr. MacmillanThat, of course, is true for two reasons—the very heavy destruction of books last year and the comparative shortage of materials; but the allocation to books is higher than that to other classes of use.