§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what considerations he applies in deciding whether to publish tables in the Official Report; how the cost of publishing tables is established; and in what circumstances he decides that costs are disproportionate.
§ Mr. NewtonThis is a matter of judgment rather than of a precise estimate. In making such a judgment, I take account of the work involved in the Department, including the cost of typing and checking tables of figures, as well as printing costs which can run to hundreds of pounds. Some assessment must also be made of the extent to which the information is readily available, or can be easily derived, from existing published sources. I therefore look with particular care at requests to reprint lengthy tables which are already available in the House of Commons Library.