HC Deb 17 October 1945 vol 414 cc1194-5W
Sir T. Moore

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much paper he made available for the publication of "Your M.P." and the "English Social History," respectively.

Mr. Ellis Smith

No paper has been made available from the Board of Trade Special Reserve for the publication of "Your M.P." Eighty-three and a half tons, the full amount of which the publishers have asked, has, however, been made available from the reserve for the "Social History of England." Both publishers are, of course, free to use for these books as much paper as they wish from their regular quotas.

Sir H. Lucas-Tooth

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the present impossibility for many persons leaving the Fighting Services to start business as publishers owing to their inability to obtain a quota of paper for new businesses, he will make a statement as to the date by which he expects to be able to allocate some supplies for this purpose.

Sir S. Cripps

While the total amount of paper that can be made available for book publishing is still limited, and existing publishers are still obliged to go short, consideration can now be given to any application to the Paper Control by an ex-Serviceman with experience who wishes to start a genuine book publishing business of his own.