§ 2.46 p.m.
VISCOUNT CRANBORNEMy Lords, I beg to ask the Leader of the House a question of which I have given him private notice—namely, to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take immediate steps to ensure that Peers desiring to do so may receive regularly through the post at their private addresses, copies of all Public Bills and White Papers, by a general order in the same way as they do the Minutes of Proceedings and Orders of the Day.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONMy Lords, I have made inquiries, and I am informed that the arrangement is that Public Bills are sent through the post to Peers who have notified the Printed Paper Office their wish to receive them. So far as can be traced, such Bills have always been sent to Peers who have given this notification. As regards White Papers, such White Papers as are considered by the Departments as of sufficient importance are placed upon a "general circulation list" and are automatically circulated to ill Peers who have notified their wish to receive them. Other White Papers are not circulated automatically to Peers, but a pink form bearing their titles is circulated weekly, and Peers who wish to receive these Papers can do so by putting a cross against the Papers they require. In these circumstances I do not think there is anything further I can do at present beyond giving the House this information, but if any of your Lordships has any reason in future to complain of the non-delivery of Bills or other Papers which he may have ordered, perhaps he will be good enought to refer to the Clerk of the Parliaments.