HL Deb 16 February 1971 vol 315 cc477-8
LORD SORENSEN

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 how many copies of the House of Lords Official Report (Hansard) are delivered to Peers, are otherwise circulated and are sold; and what is the annual cost of publication.]

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (EARL JELLICOE)

My Lords, on average, 460 copies of the daily parts of the House of Lords OFFICIAL REPORT, 220 of the weekly edition, and 165 of the bound volumes are delivered to Peers; 2,280 copies of daily parts, 330 of the weekly edition, and 270 of the volumes are circulated for official use, and 930 of the daily parts, 310 of the weekly edition, and 350 of the volumes are sold. The cost of publication of all editions of the Report, including indexes, is estimated at £90,000 for the latest financial year.

LORD SORENSEN

My Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for that reply, may I ask whether he does not think that some economies might be effected in this matter? Can he also say whether the charge to the general public is designed to cover the total cost of printing, including the free copies? Lastly, does not the number of copies sold to the general public indicate a depressingly minimal amount of interest on the part of the public in this historic Assembly?

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I am not certain whether I got all the noble Lord's supplementaries. In reply to his last supplementary, all I would say is that, depressing though he may find these statistics, they are rather better than those for another place; and, what is more, if we could restrict a little the length of our speeches and some of our supplementaries the cost of producing Hansard would fall, and I think also the sales might increase.

LORD SORENSEN

Surely the noble Earl does not think my Question has been worthless.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he would not agree that public interest in the affairs of the House of Lords might be stimulated if the Lobby correspondents were allowed into the Prince's Chamber?

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, that is a somewhat different question. But I am open to suggestions as to how interest in your Lordships' House might be stimulated.

LORD WYNNE-JONES

My Lords, does not the noble Earl suggest by his answer regarding the restriction of supplementaries that one should perhaps remove the sauce for the benefit of stodge?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, if the noble Earl is looking for ideas for increasing interest in your Lordships' House, may I suggest that he considers proceeding with the reform of this House?

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, would the noble Earl consider discontinuing the issue of intern indexes? Sometimes we sit for two or three days only and then an index is issued for that period. It seems a quite unnecessary waste.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I do not think it is really for me to consider that; but I shall be glad to pass on the noble Lord's suggestion to the appropriate quarters.

LORD SLATER

My Lords, surely by suggesting to this Chamber the restriction of speeches and of supplementary questions which are asked of various Ministers relating to pertinent subjects, the noble Earl is not seeking to restrict freedom of speech. Surely we do not want that, even in this Chamber.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, the answer is that I was not suggesting anything of the sort, and I am surprised that the noble Lord should think that I was.

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