§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, in the case of the five Questions answered in the 1976–77 Session with incorrect 16W information, he arranged for only two to be corrected by further Questions by the Members concerned; which were the other three; why, in these cases and as with the four in the current Session, alterations are being made in the bound volume of the Official Report instead of by rectification through a further Question; and whether he will arrange for this to be done in the future.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesAs a general rule an hon. Member is invited to table a further Question if the scale or complexity of the original mistake make it inappropriate for a correction to be made in the Bound Volume of theOfficial Report.
It is for the hon. Member concerned to decide whether or not to take up the invitation, just as it is open to those who receive no such invitation to table a further Question on their own initiative. There is no question of my arranging for this to be done. I see no reason to change the present practice; it would in any case not be possible, for the reasons given, to ensure that a further Question was tabled in every case.