§ 60. Mr. Pickthornasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why copies of the Gouzenko Report were ordered so late as 29th August, 1946; why so few as 2,000 were ordered; why the second order was for so few as 750; how many of these have now been sold; and whether more are on order.
§ Mr. Glenvil HallCopies of this report published in Canada on 2nd August, 1946, were ordered by cable on the day that His Majesty's Government approved a proposal to put them on sale in this country through the Stationery Office. This lengthy Canadian publication was very widely noticed in the British Press and it is always difficult to estimate the possible demand of the British public for any publication of another Government. All copies ordered have to be bought outright in Canadian dollars, and with the dollar situation as it is I am not justified in speculating on the high side and running the risk of a large number of unsold copies. The original estimate was thought reasonable at the time. The outstanding demand has now reached 223 copies. The order for 750 has now been increased to 1,250.