§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the definition of a state paper includes the manuscript notes by a Prime Minister of a speech delivered in the House of Commons. [30607]
Mr. John M. TaylorAs I said in reply to the hon. Member on 11 May 1995,Official Report, column 566, state papers are those which are created or acquired by Ministers, officials or other Crown servants by virtue of the office they hold under, or their service to, the Crown. Whether notes such as those referred to by the hon. Member fall into this category would depend on the circumstances in which they were made.