asked the Minister of Supply whether he has observed that newspaper proprietors, having reduced the size of their journals to meet the paper shortage, are still using this shortage as a reason for imposing restrictions on newsagents, to the inconvenience of the public; and will he consider issuing a regulation that the usual practice governing sale or return shall operate, failing agreement between newspaper owners and retailers or take other steps to mitigate the inconvenience caused to the travelling public by the present arrangements?

As was stated in the reply to the hon. Member for Clay Cross (Mr. Ridley) on 7th November, the detailed arrangements in the trade regarding the return of unsold newspapers are not matters in which my right hon. Friend can intervene.

Is there no prospect that the Minister will see there is a public grievance here, and take powers to deal with it?

The difficulty of the situation is that we asked the newspaper proprietors to economise in the use of paper, and it is rather difficult, on the other hand, if we ask them to give more spare copies to the wholesalers and retailers throughout the country, because the two requests would be completely inconsistent.

Do you not know about this grievance being an actual fact?

I know about the grievance, but I am afraid it is one of those things which result from the difficulty of getting enough wood pulp in time of war.