HC Deb 19 January 1976 vol 903 cc918-20
31. Mr. Adley

asked the Lord President of the Council how many documents and leaflets, books and other sources of information he receives in the course of a year for distribution to hon. Members from central and local government bodies and statutory undertakings; how much these cost, both in terms of value and cost of distribution; and what steps he intends to take to reduce these costs to the nation.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Edward Short)

During the Session 1974–75 the Vote Office notified to hon.

Members the receipt of 269 documents, other than parliamentary papers, from central and local government bodies and statutory undertakings. These documents were received free of charge to the House of Commons Vote and copies were distributed to hon. Members on request as part of the general distribution services of the Vote Office. The House authorities are aware of the need for economy wherever practicable.

Mr. Adley

In thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that answer, may I ask whether he recalls telling me in a letter that it is the normal practice of the Vote Office to order a minimum of 100 copies of documents that are supplied?

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the chief executive of the Southern Water Authority has expressed himself to me as a little surprised that Parliament should need nearly 200 copies of its report, at £.1.50 a time?

Is it possible to devise a rather less extravagant system than the one that appears to be in use at the moment?

Mr. Short

I shall certainly consider the case raised by the hon. Member. The problem is that the Vote Office tries to estimate the demand for a document. If it did not do this there would be delay, as there would not be a stock of the documents available to hon. Members when they asked for them. The Vote Office would have to send for each copy individually. However, in the instance raised by the hon. Gentleman the number certainly appears to be rather excessive, and I shall examine that case.

Mr. Lipton

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a considerable saving could be effected if the Vote Office did not inundate hon. Members with a lot of material that they do not want? Will he transfer to the pink demand note all the documents at present sent automatically to hon. Members whether they want them or not?

Mr. Short

My hon. Friend will find that at some time in the past he ordered all the material that he is now getting. Only this morning I had a discussion on the question whether we should adopt the practice used in another place, where each peer has to make a fresh application at the beginning of each parliamentary Session.

The cost of these publications is so great now that I think we might look at this matter, instead of allowing the supply of these documents to go on for years.

Mr. Marten

Is not the answer to the problem raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) that we should have the documents on "sale or return"?

Mr. George Cunningham

Does my right hon. Friend not agree that it is much more sensible to do it in this way than in the way employed by some bodies outside the House, which send the document to every hon. Member—whether he asks for it or not—direct through the post, with the result that 99 per cent. of the documents are thrown away as soon as they are received?

Mr. Short

I agree with my hon. Friend. This facility applies only to public and statutory bodies outside.

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