Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Commerce – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 July 1947.
Mr Thomas Skeffington-Lodge
, Bedford
12:00,
10 July 1947
asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in the interests of the adequate presentation of news and views of local, national and international importance and also to meet the needs of advertisers and the convenience of the public, he will allocate such supplies of newsprint to the Press of this country as will enable it to maintain papers of the present or an increased size; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Stafford Cripps
, Bristol East
As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the exchequer has already said in his statement on the import programme on 30th June, it is regrettably necessary to restrict imports, and the sizes of newspapers will consequently have to be reduced.
Mr Thomas Skeffington-Lodge
, Bedford
Yes, but is the President of the Board of Trade aware that any cut in newsprint which is contemplated will bring a saving of dollars which will be very trivial compared with the inevitable curtailment of publicity which will develop for those things which are the very essence of our British way and purpose?
Sir Stafford Cripps
, Bristol East
I quite appreciate the value of the Press and am very sorry that it has to be curtailed.
Viscount Hinchingbrooke
, Dorset Southern
Could we at least have an assurance that the same percentage cut will be applied to Government papers?
Mr William Gallacher
, Fife Western
In view of the shortage, which is so evident, could my right hon. and learned Friend tell us what supplies were given for the publication of 250,000 copies of a very pornographic book that came from America?
Sir Stafford Cripps
, Bristol East
If the hon. Member will send me particulars, I will look into it.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
This phrase is often used in written answers to indicate that a minister has deposited some relevant information in the House of Commons Library. Typical content includes research reports, letters, and tables of data not published elsewhere.
A list of such depositions can be found at http://deposits.parliament.uk/ along with some of the documents. The Library is not open to the public, but copies of documents can be requested if they are not on that website. For more information, see the House of Commons factsheet: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/P15.pdf
