§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the present high price of Government publications has seriously restricted their public sale; and can he take steps to reduce the price, having regard to the fact that the productive cost of those sold to the public is represented only by the cost of paper, machinery, and binding?
Mr. GUINNESSI am not aware that the increased price of Government pub-476W lications has seriously restricted their sale. It is frequently observed that a publication which was formerly priced at an abnormally low figure obtained a sale little, if at all, greater than that which it secures at present. As has been explained on previous occasions, the sale copies are charged with a proportion of the cost of composition, press work, paper and binding, and, as nothing is ordinarily charged for compilation or editing, I do not consider this an unreasonable arrangement. The pricing of Government publications is kept under review, and it was found possible to introduce recently a revised scale of charges for Parliamentary publications which shows a material reduction on the scale which had been in force since October, 1921. While the general rule is as I have stated, exceptions are not infrequently made in favour of a lower price where special reasons exist.