HL Deb 25 April 1968 vol 291 cc739-40
LORD FERRIER

My 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 when the next Report of the Road Research Laboratory may be expected, and when it is proposed to publish Road Accidents 1967.]

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, I understand that the Report of the Road Research Laboratory for 1967 is due to be published in August, and that Road Accidents 1967 should be published in September.

LORD FERRIER

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his reply, may I ask, in the light of the importance of road accident problems in the lives of everybody, and the fact that it is a long time since we have discussed this matter, whether it is possible for publication of this Report to be speeded up so that we may receive it before the end of the Session?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, this is a complicated matter. I understand that this Report is now in the hands of the printers, and I do not myself believe it will be possible to speed up the printing and issue of this document. It is a complicated process, but I will see what can be done. I should not myself have thought it likely that we should get that Report in time to have a debate before the Summer Recess.

LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEY

My Lords, is the noble Lord telling us that it takes the Government printers four months to print a not too complicated Report like this?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, as the noble Lord will be aware, there is more than one Report in the course of being printed.

VISCOUNT HANWORTH

My Lords, would the noble Lord confirm that it must be Her Majesty's Stationery Office which will do the printing?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, I imagine that it would be.

LORD BYERS

My Lords, would the noble Lord consider putting the printing out to private enterprise to see whether we can get the Report a little more quickly?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, that is a possibility which we can all consider. But even private enterprise is under some criticism now and again in terms of delivery.

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