§ Mr. J. Howardasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will authorise the issue of extra copies of the daily parts of Hansard to those Members who need them in connection with their Parliamentary duties.
§ Mr. GreenAt present Members are entitled to receive one copy of each daily issue of Hansard by post and also to obtain one extra copy from the Vote Office. In addition they can obtain up to six copies of a particular portion of a daily part from loose-leaf copies in the Vote Office. These arrangements will continue
However, to meet the reasonable needs of Members and following advice from the Select Committee on Publications and Debates Reports, for which I am most grateful, I have authorised the provision to the Vote Office of 600 further copies of each daily part of Hansard. Members who need extra copies of particular issues—that is, in addition to the two copies available under the present arrangements described above—will in future be able to obtain up to four extra copies per Member from the Vote Office on the day of issue only, so long as these additional copies last.
The additional storage space required will entail a change in the arrangements for maintaining stocks of Parliamentary Papers in the Vote Office. The present rule provides that Members may obtain, on application to the Vote Office, a copy of any Parliamentary Paper of the current or two preceding Sessions. Under the new arrangements, the Vote Office will carry stocks of papers of the current and one preceding Session only. Parliamentary Papers between one and two years old will now be available in the same way as papers more than two years old, i.e. they will not be stocked at the Vote Office but can be obtained through the Vote Office if required, provided that they are still in print or that reprinting is justified. The arrangements for providing these older papers are set out in detail in my predecessor's statement to the House on 17th July, 1956 (Hansard Vol. 556, No. 193, Col. 1048–9). The new procedure operates from the beginning of this Session.
I should also like to take the opportunity of reminding Members that they 40W may obtain, on application on the appropriate green form to the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office, one copy of any non-Parliamentary publication reasonably required for the discharge of their Parliamentary duties. From time to time, for the convenience of Members, copies of non-Parliamentary publications which are thought to be of particular interest to Members are put into the Vote Office and Members may then obtain their copy without filling in a green demand form. They are, however, entitled to one copy only. Copies of these publications will also be available in the Library and I would ask Members, in the interests of economy, only to ask the Stationery Office for personal copies when they require them for more than occasional reference.