"A BEASTLY WASTE"

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 22, 27 January 1938, Page 17

"A BEASTLY WASTE"

IN HOUSE OF COMMONS'

"A beastly waste;'1 was, .how-. Sif Nairne Stewart Sandeman, a membe« of the Select Committee on Publications and Debates Reports, referred ttf the state of affairs in the House of Commons regarding the issue of copies of Hansard and other official papers, says the "Daily, Telegraph and Mornf ing Post." : :■.-■■• :■ ■ He was speaking during the hearing of evidence by /the. Committee., LieutColonel N. G. Scorgie, Deputy-Con-troller of H.M. Stationery Office,-had previously stated that the Stationery "Office had no control over the riumbec of free copies of Hansard issued t« members. :. .

The report of the evidence has beeil published. -. ■ Lieut. - Colonel Scorgie, asked whether he would know-how many copies of Hansard went out without being paid for, replied in the affirmative, and added, "But we could not distinguish between /the free copy which the member took, for example, from the Vote Office to give to a friend who was interested,'and a free copy which he wanted because a debate was being referred to and he had left his own copy at home.

"It is the same with Bills and Acts. Anyone who has been in "the Gallery has seen the floor of the House strewn with papers, but it is impossible for us to say that is a wasteful expenditure." WASTE PAPER FIGURES. Sir Nairne Stewart Sandeman: I think there is a frightful lot of waste there. If, after they had had tw# copies, they had to pay a shilling fof them, the members would be much more careful. It is, frankly, a beastly waste, and I hate to see It. ■

Asked what was the amount oJ waste paper sent back Irom Government Departments, Sir William Codling, Controller of the Stationery Office, said: "Round about 10,000 tons a year. We never get what might be called the full market value of waste."

Sir Nairne Stewart Sandeman: But 10,000 tons is colossal.

Sir William: YeS, but that includes things like Ministry of Labour insurance cards that are finished with and all the Revenue returns which are obsolete. . .

But 10.000 tons, even including those, sounds a very large figure, and I am certain that /something could be saved on it. Do not you think some sort of co-ordination might result in your saving 1000 tons of it?—l "doubt-it. Sir William added that a thousand tons would be worth about £1500.