HC Deb 15 March 1999 vol 327 c439W
Mr. Peter Atkinson

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what steps she proposes to take to ensure that copies of ministerial statements and accompanying documents are available in the Vote Office at No 7 Millbank on the day of the statement. [76576]

Mrs. Roe

The Vote Office endeavours to arrange distribution of ministerial statements throughout the Parliamentary estate on the same afternoon that such statements are made, where considerations of security, timing and the quantity of documents make this possible. However, it would be impracticable for the Vote Office to undertake always to distribute unknown quantities of documents which often arrive very late (or even sometimes after a statement) unless a van was made permanently available to the office, which would not be economic.