§ Mr. Spellerasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will estimate the annual cost to the Exchequer of the larger size of brown manilla envelopes supplied for use by the House of Commons; what representations he has received concerning the number of such envelopes which have broken in the post; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BiffenThe estimated cost of the brown post-paid envelopes, code number 131, supplied for right hon. and hon. Members use during the period March 1986 to April 1987 was £42, 572.60. This amount includes postal charges at first-class rates.
The Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee at its meeting on 19 May last year considered the feasibility and cost of stocking more robust brown envelopes and decided that orders should be placed on an experimental basis for a stronger self-seal brown envelope of 120g/m2 code number 23–115. These are being tried out by the Committee Office and the results of the experiment will be reported to the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee shortly.