WRITTEN ANSWERS (PUBLICATION) (Hansard, 12 July 1974)

§ Mr. Tom King
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I have asked your leave to raise this point of order—of which I have also given notice to the Leader of the House—because I consider an important House of Commons matter is involved.
You will be aware that the House of Commons has for a considerable number of days been severely inconvenienced by the dispute in the HANSARD printers. We appreciate the difficulties over this, and I would like to say immediately that we recognise the tremendous efforts being made to provide the House with as much information and as much of HANSARD as can be provided in these difficult circumstances.
A point has just emerged which does not seem to have been raised so far but which is crucial to the working of the 1742 House of Commons. I refer to the fact that no answers to Written Questions are being printed in any form that is available to hon. Members except the individual Member to whom the answer is given. This is a fundamental point. We are not naive on either side of the House.
We all know that the Written Answer is a favourite device used by Governments to publish information which they are often obliged to publish for some reason or other. Often it is the least obvious way in which to pass on information. The Government hope that such a method will attract rather less publicity. It is our responsibility as Members to scrutinise Written Answers, particularly in those areas with which we are most concerned, and to see what are the activities of the various Departments.
Many important matters can be disclosed through a Written Answer and it is vital for the proper working of this House that Written Answers are made available to all Members. I have not been able to check the position in the Lobby to discover whether its members are receiving copies of Written Answers. If they are, it is a privilege which they are receiving above those given to Members of Parliament.
If the Government have a piece of information which they are obliged to make public they can persuade one of their friendly back benchers to put down a Question. They can issue the answer to him and, since he is under no obligation to publish it, no other hon. Member will have the slightest indication that the answer has been given. This is a serious matter, about which the Leader of the House or the Minister of State, who I am glad to see present, must give satisfactory assurances. If we are to proceed properly with our duty as Members, then Written Answers must be made available.
Alternatively, the Government will have to undertake that because no controversial or difficult matters which would in any way be open to criticism can be published in the form of Written Answers, in the good name of this House, they will make statements on all occasions about any such matter which might otherwise be disclosed by a Written Answer.
I know that many representations have been made to the Leader of the House. I 1743 do not think it is betraying a confidence if I say that the chairman of our back benchers' committee saw the Leader of the House and was given assurances that all necessary papers would be made available. It has therefore come as a considerable shock to my right hon. and hon. Friends to find that the Leader of the House does not apparently consider Written Answers to be essential parliamentary papers. I am bound to say, too, that while the Leader of the House was extremely courteous, he did not seem to be aware that Written Answers were not being produced. That gave rise to considerable disquiet as to just how well the Government are controlling and coping with this difficult situation.
I believe that this is an important parliamentary matter. How are we to do our job properly as back benchers? I know that I carry all right hon. and hon. Gentlemen with me in making this point. They know the importance of Written Answers and the importance of being able to see Written Answers from all departments. Therefore I hope that the Government can give a very satisfactory assurance on this matter now.

§ The Minister of State, Civil Service Department (Mr. Robert Sheldon)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. What the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. King) has said is correct, and I must offer to the House apologies on behalf of those concerned. But it has been the practice in the past that Written Answers have been arriving very much later at times of overwork and stress, quite apart from disputes, than other material which is available in HANSARD and in other forms for the benefit of the House. The problem about Written Answers is that they result in a large quantity of material in a form which is not quite so readily duplicated or prepared for the benefit of the House as are other documents. If it is the wish of the House, I shall be delighted to see what can be done to make available these essential papers.

§ Mr. Michael Heseltine (Henley)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. While acepting the apologies that the Minister of State has made, may I ask him to go a little further and to assure us that in the course of his investi 1744 gation he will make certain that the Government do not use the time honoured technique of the Written Answer to announce significant matters of policy?

§ Mr. Sheldon
The hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) will realise that a large number of the Questions put down with this point in mind are as a result of you, Mr. Speaker, rightly drawing attention to the large number of statements which have been made in the House and the need to convey material to hon. Members in ways which do not take up the time of the House. But I shall take note of what the hon. Gentleman has said.

§ Mr. Richard Wainwright (Colne Valley)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister also assure us that, without disturbing the distribution arrangements, which must remain in the hands of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, he is giving urgent consideration to the installation of photo-litho machines in the basement of this building so that papers may be printed?

§ Mr. Sheldon
Any change in the preparation of papers is your responsibility, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, and I shall be guided by such instructions as I am given.