HC Deb 27 October 1960 vol 627 cc2565-6
22. Mr. Peyton

asked the Chancellor of the Exhecquer what recent additions he has made to the list of publications which are required to be read in the course of their duty by officers of his Department.

Mr. Barber

There is no such list.

Mr. Peyton

Will my hon. Friend start a list with the book "The Law and the Profits" by Professor Parkinson? Does not he think that the reading of such a book would produce a refreshingly new view in the dusty labyrinths of the Treasury about the evils of high Government expenditure and the ways in which it can be effectively controlled, and cause the Treasury in general to view penal taxation with the same odium as does the taxpayer?

Mr. Barber

There is a copy of Professor Parkinson's book in the Treasury library, and when I inquired about it I was told that it was in great demand and that there is a waiting list. I gather that my hon. Friend is concerned about Government expenditure. In view of what he has said, however, I hope that he will not object if I consult my right hon. and learned Friend in order to obtain his authority for the necessary further Government expenditure required to purchase an additional copy of the book.