Official Report (Hansard) (Prices)

HC Deb 11 December 1970 vol 808 cc211-2W

Mr. Selwyn Gummer

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the price of the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

For many years HANSARD has been sold at much less than cost, and its present price has remained unchanged since October, 1967. Since then production costs and overheads have risen steeply resulting in a loss on copies sold to the public of £142,000 in 1969–70. It is expected that this loss will increase to £161,000 in the present financial year.

In order to improve the financial position of HANSARD, we have reluctantly decided that the price of the daily edition must be raised from 2s. 3d. to 3s. 7d. (18p) and that of the weekly edition from 7s. to 10s. (50p) with corresponding increases in the prices of indexes, Standing Committee debates, bound volumes and subscription rates. It is estimated that these increases, which will operate from 12th January, 1971, when Parliament resumes after the Christmas adjournment, will reduce the loss on copies sold to the public to about £100,000 a year, the same level as after the 1967 price increase.