§ 31. Mr. Dubsasked the Lord President of the Council if he will raise in the Services Committee the practice of using Roman, rather than Arabic, numerals in paginating parts of House of Commons papers, especially in Select Committee reports, with a view to standardising on Arabic numerals.
§ Mr. BiffenI am sure that the House of Commons (Services) Committee will be prepared to consider any proposal the hon. Member puts to it on the subject.
§ Mr. DubsI am grateful to the Leader of the House for that answer. This is hardly the most burning political issue that is likely to come before the House during this Parliament, but is he aware that it represents a source of confusion to hon. Members, the public and the press? It is often not possible to find a particular page in many Select Committee reports. Will he support the proposal in my question?
§ Mr. BiffenThe hon. Gentleman makes a fair point about some of the difficulties that derive from the present forms of pagination. While I should like to secure a role as a great reforming Leader of the House, perhaps by obtaining changes in this regard, I should not like to anticipate what might be the conclusions of the House of Commons (Services) Committee when it considers the matter.
Sir John Biggs-DavidsonWill my right hon. Friend assure the House that there is no disposition to abandon Roman numerals? They are part of the inheritance of European civilisation.
§ Mr. BiffenThat is the sort of weighty issue that should be considered by the Services Committee and, mercifully, not by me alone.