§ QUESTION.
LORD MONTEAGLE ,in rising to call attention to the "First Report of the 784 Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office," lately presented to Parliament by command of Her Majesty, said, that the Report showed a very great increase in the cost of stationery and printing during the last few years, but that a saving, estimated at £55,000, had been effected by making certain changes in the contracts for printing. It was a remarkable fact, that whereas in 1823 the cost of the Stationery Department had been only £68,000, it amounted last year to £460,000. It appeared that each House had a separate printer, and this involved in some cases duplicate printing, the cost of which could be saved if both Houses had the same printer. Their Lordships' printing was done at a much more moderate rate than that of the other House; and the figures seemed to show that a considerable saving might be effected if the printing contracts of the Houses were subject to competition, as were the printing contracts for the Government Departments. He, therefore, begged to ask, in the terms of his Notice, Whether Her Majesty's Government proposed to institute inquiries as to the possibility of effecting improvements in the printing and publishing of Acts of Parliament, and other Official papers?
LORD THURLOWsaid, the Report to which the noble Lord had called attention was one of considerable interest, being the first of its kind presented to Parliament by a Department which had been steadily growing in importance ever since its creation, just 100 years ago, and which now exercised annual control over upwards of £500,000–its gross expenditure in 1879–80 being £568,377. In reply to the Question of the noble Lord, he had to state that the Report of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office had received the careful consideration of Her Majesty's Government, who proposed to institute inquiries as to the possibility of effecting improvements in the printing and publishing of Acts of Parliament and other Official papers. In the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, this Inquiry should take the shape of a joint Committee of both Houses; and the exact scope of the Reference to that Committee would remain to be hereafter determined, but would certainly include a revision of what was known as the "promulgation list," a somewhat anti- 785 quated and obsolete document, more particularly described at page 12 of the Report. It would also include all points connected with the printing, storage, and publication of Acts of Parliament, Orders in Council, and Parliamentary Papers which required consideration. The Committee would further inquire in what manner the many reforms and economies recently introduced and proposed in Her Majesty's Stationery Office might best be supplemented and carried out. The Report was a singularly concise and satisfactory document, and would well repay the perusal of all interested in the subject. He begged to give Notice that on that day week he would move on behalf of Her Majesty's Government for the appointment of the Committee in question.