§ 62. Commander King-Hallasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will make it possible for secondary schools to Obtain copies of HANSARD for their libraries at the reduced rate now available for rate-aided public libraries.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Osbert Peake)No, Sir, I regret I am unable to accept this suggestion. As the hon. and gallant Member is aware the war-time production facilities for HANSARD are so restricted that I cannot encourage a large circulation to secondary schools on a subsidised basis.
§ Commander King-HallWhile regretting this unfortunate start to what, I hope, will be a successful career, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he is not aware that there is no difficulty in producing further copies of HANSARD a day late and that that would meet the requirements of the libraries of secondary schools? Is it not desirable that secondary school libraries should have HANSARD for the use of teachers for reference and for children in the upper forms?
§ Mr. PeakeI think there is room for some dubiety as to the appetite for HANSARD of school children of 11 years and upwards, but at the present time, I am informed, it is impossible greatly to augment the production of HANSARD.
§ Mr. Austin HopkinsonIs it not far more important that these facilities should be available for the reading rooms of Air Force stations where a report of a Debate in the House of Commons was cut out of the "Daily Telegraph" of last Friday?