HC Deb 26 November 1963 vol 685 cc74-6
Q10. Mr. Milne

asked the Prime Minister if he will ensure that when Government White Papers and documents are published they are not made available to the public or to unofficial bodies before they have been issued to hon. Members.

Mr. R. A. Butler

I have been asked to reply.

The procedures for the publication of White Papers have been used for many years with the general approval of this House. I am not aware of any departure from them, but if the hon. Member knows of any difficulty I should be glad to have it investigated.

Mr. Milne

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that there have been difficulties, that the procedure which has been followed in the past is obviously not working, that on numerous occasions, particularly recently on the occasion of the issuing of the Hailsham Report on the North-East, it was possible to have copies of that Report in the North-East before we in this House had it and, in addition, that it was possible for the President of the Board of Trade to refer to it in this House when hon. Members had no access to the Report, whereas in other parts of the country it was on issue from 3 p.m. onwards? Will the right hon. Gentleman look into the matter a little more closely?

Mr. Butler

Yes, I will look further into it. I have, however, already looked into the question of whether copies were available in the North-East and I am informed that they were available only after 3.30 p.m. that day. If the hon. Member can bring any further points to my attention, they will certainly be investigated.

Mr. H. Wilson

When we had this matter out across the Floor of the House in the middle of the right hon. Gentleman's speech and I asked him whether it was not a fact that the Report had been printed the previous day so that Members of the House could have it, the right hon. Gentleman indignantly denied it. If copies had not been printed the previous day, will the right hon. Gentleman tell us how they could have gone up to the North-East in time for 3.30, in the middle of his speech? If they had been printed the previous day, why were they not made available to hon. Members before the right hon. Gentleman spoke?

Mr. Butler

I will certainly investigate that. It is, however, quite clear that advance copies were made available for the North-East so that there would be contemporaneous publication for those who were interested.

Mr. Wilson

In view of the travelling time in getting copies of the Report to the North-East, unless they were printed there that morning, the right hon. Gentleman is, therefore, I take it, agreeing with me and disagreeing with his right hon. Friend that copies were available and could have been given to hon. Members.

Mr. Butler

I am only stating the fact that it was agreed that a certain time of publication should prevail in this House. As is quite common practice in publishing White Papers, copies were made available to the North-East at the same time.

Mr. Milne

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some of my constituents were interviewed concerning their reactions on the Report well before 3 p.m. on the day when it was available in this House at 3.30?

Mr. Butler

No, Sir. I adhere to what I said in my original Answer. If the hon. Member has matters like that which he would like to bring to my attention, I will have them investigated.