§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister for the Civil Service, in view of the fact that the Official Report of the proceedings of 9th December was cut off in column 704 shortly after 7 p.m., that no Official Report of the subsequent proceedings on that day was available on 13th December, to the particular deprivation of Northern Ireland, and that interruptions of the documentation of the House of Commons, to the detriment of parliamentary government and information to the public, have become frequent in recent years, if he will announce before the Christmas Adjournment his proposals for a lasting solution to such problems.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisTheOfficial Report for 9th December was restricted due to an industrial dispute at the Parliamentary Press, involving members of the National Graphical Association. It was expected that the matter omitted from the 9th December issue would be included in the Official Report for 10th December, but a continuance of the problem prevented its appearance.
Copies of the Official Report dated 10th December were available in an alternative form before the commencement of parliamentary business on 13th December and these copies included all matter relating to proceedings in the House after 10 p.m. on 9th December. Copies of the proceedings between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on 9th December were avail- 780W able in an alternative form on 14th December.
Between July 1974 and the commencement of the current Session there have been four occasions when parliamentary papers have not been available to Members in their normal form. The need for good industrial relations is recognised by HMSO and every effort is made to settle any industrial dispute which might affect the normal delivery of parliamentary papers. The hon. Member will, however, recognise that the Parliamentary Press often works overtime against a very tight timetable, and that in such circumstances hasty solutions to difficulties that arise from time to time may not be either equitable or wise.