§ 2.42 p.m.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish a popular version of the Final Report of the Committee on Consumer Protection, in view of the considerable public interest in the matter.]
§ LORD HASTINGSNo, my Lords. My right honourable friend considers that the complex and very technical matters dealt with in this Report do not lend themselves to abridgement. Moreover, the public demand for a popular version would in his view be much too small to justify the cost of preparing and printing it. I have no doubt, however, that the Consumer Council which the Government have decided to establish will give early consideration to the possibility of publicising matters of interest to the consumer arising out of the Molony Report.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, might I ask the noble Lord whether he realises with what pleasure and surprise I shall one day receive an affirmative Answer to one of my Questions? Might I also ask him whether, in view of the great affection and esteem in which the Government now hold the 110 housewife, it would not have been better to consider publishing an abridged version? Could the noble Lord also tell the House why it seems possible to publish abridged versions on other subjects but not on this—on a matter which is so urgent to the housewife and, obviously, to the Government?
§ LORD HASTINGSMy Lords, I think the answer to the noble Lady's first supplementary question is, Yes. On the second, and perhaps more important question, certainly I do not wish to minimise the importance or interest of this Report, but the matter of economics does come into it. The noble Lady may be interested to learn that of 12,500 copies of the full version published, fewer than half were sold and the remainder are still at Her Majesty's Stationery Office. The noble Lady referred to other abridged versions being published, but I think she is under a misapprehension. The only other one that one can readily think of is the Pilkington Report, which was published in an abridged version at 2s. Although 35,000 copies of that abridged version were printed, even of such a popular Report fewer than 20,000 were sold; and that is considered the absolute minimum which would make it an economic proposition. Now that three months have elapsed since the publication of the Molony Report, it is considered very unlikely that very many copies of even an abridged version would be sold. I should like to add that other abridged versions, apart from the Pilkington Report, have not been published. If the noble Lady can tell me of one, I shall be glad to refer it to my right honourable friend. But it is believed that one would have to go back as far as the Beveridge Report of 1942 to find another abridged version having been officially published.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, without disputing the noble Lord's facts, which are obviously correct (and I will not be tempted on to that ground) might I ask him whether he is really and truly surprised, in view of the price of the Molony Report—at which I do not quibble, but which I believe is 18s.—that there are quite a lot left at Her Majesty's Stationery Office? But might I ask the noble Lord to be very careful? Is he aware that, going back over the last few years, there was always 111 the great fear that the housewife would not understand these complicated matters if they were placed before her? Is the noble Lord aware that I should hate him to have to eat his words, as the Government have bad to do very recently?
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he could ask Messrs. Prentis and Varley to publish it in the ensuing year?