HC Deb 22 March 1956 vol 550 cc1463-5
39. Mr. G. R. Strauss

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will review the Treasury ruling that limits the free issue of Acts of Parliament to hon. Members on application to the Vote Office to those Acts passed in the present and immediately preceding Parliament.

Mr. Brooke

Acts of Parliament passed in the current and the two preceding Sessions are available free to hon. Members in the Vote Office. This practice is based on a statement made to the House on 18th February, 1924, and it appears to give a reasonable degree of satisfaction, for no hon. Member has asked a Question about it from that day to this.

Mr. Strauss

May I ask the Financial Secretary, now that the precedent has been broken, to agree that it is utterly ridiculous that an hon. Member dealing with the Transport (Disposal of Road Haulage Property) Bill, for example, which is only a Bill amending the 1953 Transport Act, could not get hold of that Act which it was essential to have in order to understand the Bill, without going to the Stationery Office and paying for it? Will the Financial Secretary look into the matter?

Mr. Brooke

I will certainly look into this matter. Of course there are numbers of copies of Statutes available on loan in different parts of this building. On this occasion I think that the excellent staff in the Vote Office, who serve us so well, were not aware that a particular Statute might be required in connection with the work of a Committee upstairs, otherwise I am sure they would have tried to ensure that a copy could be available.

Mr. Strauss

But the right hon. Gentleman told us just now that the present rule is that such an Act is not available free to hon. Members because it is more than two years old. Further, is he aware that having copies of these Acts spread about the House is no use, when it is essential for an hon. Member to have a certain Act with him in a Committee room in order to discuss details of a Bill?

Mr. Brooke

What I said was that it was not a rule but a practice. We must have certain practices in these matters. We also have to administer them, like everything else in this House, with a reasonable degree of common sense and flexibility.

Mr. Gaitskell

But is not the Financial Secretary rather unfair in appearing to put upon the persons who serve the Vote Office the responsibility for this matter? Will he please look at this practice to see whether it cannot be amended to ensure that hon. Members have free all the facilities necessary for conducting their business in this House?

Mr. Brooke

I am extremely anxious that the arrangements should be such as to meet the convenience of hon. Members. We must have some accepted practices in this matter. The last thing I wish to do is to cast any blame on the Vote Office staff, but in that case had it become known that the Act was of importance in connection with a Committee upstairs, some arrangements might have been made in time.

Mr. Bellenger

But is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many hon. Members have limited their demands on the Vote Office for various public papers in the interests of economy? Therefore will he do his best, not only over Acts of Parliament, but also other papers, to ensure that we are not impeded in the discharge of our proper duties by parsimonious action on the part of the Treasury?

Mr. Brooke

If there is anything parsimonious about this action it dates from the Labour Government of 1924. As I have said repeatedly, I am anxious that our arrangements should be such as to meet the reasonable requirements of all hon. and right hon. Members.

Mr. Gaitskell

To clear up this matter, I ask whether we may take it that the Financial Secretary will consider the question, and will make a statement on it after Easter?

Mr. Brooke

I will certainly examine whether there is anything further that can be done. If I may say so, this is the first complaint of the kind for thirty-two years, so I do not think that anything can be seriously wrong.

Mr. Shinwell

As I am the only member of the Labour Government of 1924 now in this House, will the right hon. Gentleman understand that I repudiate any responsibility?