HL Deb 06 February 1996 vol 569 cc14-5WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked the Leader of the House:

Whether, when a document is placed at the request of Her Majesty's Government in the Library of the House, it enters the public domain so that every member of the public may have access to it upon request.

Viscount Cranborne:

The practice of the Library regarding documents placed there by Her Majesty's Government is that these documents are made available to Members and their research assistants. Members of the public who request access to such a document are referred to the government department which deposited it.

I understand that the Library of the House of Commons follows the same practice.