HC Deb 02 March 1995 vol 255 cc675-7W
Mr. Boyes

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all White Papers, Green Papers and pamphlets issued by his Department or agencies for which it is responsible in 1994, giving in each case the total cost to the Exchequer of their production, publication and distribution; and what was the total equivalent cost in 1980.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The Department published no White or Green Papers during 1994, but two leaflets were published and are listed with their costs. There were also reports and consultation documents apparently outwith the scope of the question. Information regarding the equivalent costs of White and Green Papers and leaflets produced by the Department in 1980 is not held centrally.An Introduction to the Lord Chancellor's Department £985.75 An Introduction to the Lord Chancellor's Department (An Italian version for British Week in Milan) £5,543.00

The Lord Chancellor has responsibilities for three agencies, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. As the question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executives of the agencies are best placed to provide an answer I have accordingly asked them to reply direct.

Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Roland Boyes, dated 1 March 1995: I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the white papers, green papers and pamphlets issued by the Registry in 1994. The Land Registry produces a wide range of explanatory literature containing advice for practitioners and the general public on various aspects of land registration practice and procedure and on the services that it provides. No white papers or green papers were issued in 1994. There is no cost to the exchequer of production, publication or distribution as the Agency meets all of its costs from fees. I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.

Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Roland Boyes, dated 1 March 1995: I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your question about white papers, green papers and pamphlets issued by the Public Record Office. The Public Record Office did not issue any white or green papers in 1994. It produced the following guidance:

  • Beyond the PRO: Public Records in Places of Deposit
  • Author: S. Shaw
  • Printing costs: None
  • Authorial costs: None
In 1980 the Public Record Office did not issue any white or green papers or pamphlets.

Letter from Julia Lomas to Mr. Roland Boyes, dated 1 March 1995: The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your parliamentary question, listed on 22 February 1995, regarding a list of the white papers, green papers and pamphlets issued and the cost of their production, publication and distribution. The Public Trust Office did not issue any white or green papers in 1994. The cost of producing and publishing pamphlets in 1994 (including Charter Statements explanatory booklets and leaflets sent to our customers) was £37,500. The cost of distribution will have formed part of the Public Trust Office's total postal budget and has not been separately costed. The Public Trust Office is required to cover its running costs from fees levied on its clients and the cost of producing, publishing and distributing these pamphlets will, therefore, have been recovered from these fees. No equivalent figures are available for 1980 as the relevant information is only retained for seven years.

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