Colonel NEWMANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, for the financial year 1920–21, the printing works 521W under Stationery Office management in Dugdale Street and at Harrow works lost over £33,000; and what steps does he propose to take to save the taxpayers from a continuance of this loss?
§ Mr. BALDWINI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given yesterday to the hon. and gallant Member for the Tonbridge Division (Lieut.-Colonel Spender Clay).
§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Harrow printing works have now been closed; if so, what is the financial result of their trading, and if, when arriving at this figure, an adequate and proper sum has been charged for supervision and establishment expenses; how such sums bears comparison with the normal ascertained figure in the printing trade for a similar period during which the trading has been carried out; under what authority were printing works set up; and whether the House of Commons were informed of the facts and were invited to give its consent?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe Harrow works are being run for an experimental period of three years, expiring next June, when the question of their further retention will be fully considered. The accounts for the period 9i months to 31st March, 1921, showed a loss of £32,839, and for the year 1921–22, a loss of £21,318, but provisional figures for the last six months show that the works are now being run at a profit. I am informed that these accounts include an adequate and proper charge for supervision and establishment expenses, which, so far as the audited accounts for 1920–21 are concerned, has been passed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The charge for establishment expenses covers the actual outlay for all establishment purpose. In the case of supervision, the amount covers a due proportion of the cost of the higher officials of the Stationery Office and the entire cost of the officials wholly employed in connection with the printing works. I am unable to say how these charges compare with similar charges in the printing trade. The Harrow works were purchased out of the Vote of Credit in 1918 in the circumstances set out in Appendix I. to the Report of the Select Committee on Publications for 1918 (House of Commons Paper 131). Provision for the mainten-522W ance of the works on a peace footing has been voted by Parliament in each succeeding year.