§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the arrangements for printing statutory instruments. [33838]
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§ Mr. FreemanSome of the printing of statutory instruments has been contracted out by HMSO for over 30 years as the most cost-effective way of producing them. A careful examination has recently been made of the legislation which refers to HMSO and the Queen's printer. This has revealed that while the Queen's printer can contract out the printing of statutes, this may not be the case for statutory instruments. The Queen's printer is currently also the controller of HMSO. After privatisation, the Queen's printer and controller will remain in the public sector responsible for residual HMSO.
HMSO's records show, for as far back as they are available, that statutory instruments were being printed by commercial contractors in January 1965. It is likely that the practice is somewhat older. Currently, around half the printing work for statutory instruments is contracted out at an annual cost of some £200,000. In order to put the validity of this practice in relation to statutory instruments beyond doubt, the Government intend to legislate before the summer recess. The legislation will be retrospective in effect in order to cover existing statutory instruments printed for, rather than by, HMSO.
The privatisation process, subject to meeting the safeguards required by Parliament, will continue as planned with completion during the summer and on the basis that the Queen's Printer would be able to print all statutory instruments. Meanwhile, HMSO will enter into no more external printing contracts for statutory instruments.