Record Copies of Acts

In addition to the cost of vellum, there is the matter of the printing machinery, which is due to...

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising an extremely important point. She is quite right that ...

rose—

The hon. Lady will have a chance to make her points later. I am interested that she is apparently...

When I last had a proper job, I worked in local history publishing. We published John Morris’s tr...

My hon. Friend makes an extremely good point. Were I a nimble enough speaker, I would leap from t...

My hon. Friend mentioned the debate in 1999, when Mr Brian White raised the issue, as a Milton Ke...

My hon. Friend makes an extremely strong point.

The third argument that is sometimes advanc...

Perhaps my hon. Friend will be interested to hear the opinion of a former colleague of mine, Mrs ...

My hon. Friend speaks with passion from a position of great expertise, and he is absolutely right...

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the great campaign he has run on this issue. Is it not slightly ...

They have plenty of cows in Ireland, as we do in this country, and my hon. Friend is absolutely c...

Order. Many Members wish to participate in the debate, so there will have to be a five-minute lim...

I congratulate the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr Gray) on securing this afternoon’s debate,...

Let me make it clear at this stage of the debate that this is very much a matter for the House. A...

That saving grace is very welcome.

Many of us from different parties might be described as ...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Wiltshire (Mr Gray) on initiating the debate. ...

My hon. Friend is trying to make a distinction between vellum and parchment, but they are, of cou...

I am obviously talking too quickly, because, in effect, that is what I said: they are much the sa...

I beg my hon. Friend’s pardon.

Before 1849, all Acts were written out by hand on rolls of parchment, in exquisite handwriting; i...

If we put that one supplier out of business, it is not just parliamentary Acts that will be affec...

I have not had words with the Chief Rabbi, but I can assure my hon. Friend that we have made inqu...

My hon. Friend talks about the cloud. How confident is he that the cloud will be here in 5,000 ye...

I will not be here in 5,000 years; my teeth will have gone long before that. However, my hon. Fri...

I am afraid that I fundamentally disagree with the hon. Member for Mole Valley (Sir Paul Beresfor...

On the subject of paying tribute, we should formally acknowledge the extremely important role pla...

It is important that we acknowledge Brian White. Indeed, I will go on to say something about the ...

Both Houses of Parliament will soon enjoy the ceremony and tradition of the Queen’s Speech. Does ...

The hon. Lady makes her point extremely well.

When it is proposed that vellum must be disco...

I should declare an interest, not only as a part-time historian who spent a large part of his you...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the even the highest quality archival paper is going to last only ...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: with vellum, we know it will last. It has already stood the t...

I had better repeat what I said earlier. In this House we have been recording on parchment equiva...

indicated dissent.

My hon. Friend is shaking his head, but I suggest he goes and looks.

I want to talk from my own professional experience as a historian. Someone who goes to the Nation...

People watching this debate from outside will be convinced that this House is completely out of t...

Does the hon. Gentleman remember that we are talking about vellum and record copies of Acts?

We are talking about the priorities of this Chamber. Those outside will ask what on earth we are ...

I think that I have heard the hon. Gentleman refer in the past to the Chartist movement and to ot...

I cherish the history of this country; I cherish the Book of Aneirin, Y Gododdin, presumably writ...

Order. Before I call the hon. Member for Milton Keynes South (Iain Stewart), I should emphasise t...

I am glad to have caught your eye, Mr Speaker, in this important debate.

I start by adding ...

I have been fortunate enough to represent Inverclyde in this House for almost a year. In that tim...

Order. I am sorry that I must now, with immediate effect, reduce the time limit on Back-Bench spe...

I rise to support my hon. Friend the Member for North Wiltshire (Mr Gray), who has been fighting ...

Traditions are an important part of our country, our way of life and, indeed, our Parliament. Wit...

I wonder whether we are belittling ourselves slightly. Yes, vellum is almost immortally permanent...

It is a pleasure to follow that Ciceronian example of oratory from my hon. Friend the Member for ...

One difficulty is that although the law is printed on vellum, its implementation is done through ...

My hon. Friend raises a number of interesting points, although whether we should print the delibe...

May I inform my hon. Friend that since 1956 that has been what happens? I am sorry, but if he get...

I am hugely disappointed. I wonder whether I would be able to ask the fine procurer of vellum in ...

As a point of clarification, I also promoted a private Member’s Bill that became law, and it is p...

I am grateful for that helpful intervention from the hon. Lady, who is extremely learned in these...

Anybody who is watching BBC Parliament today will be completely confused about why the House is s...

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The hon. Lady indicates from the Dispatch Box that the ti...

That was not a point of order, but the hon. Gentleman has put it on the record. The problem is th...

If the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr Gray) had listened, he would have heard that I said th...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I will finish my sentence before I give way.

I am surprised that the Minister for the Cabin...

When I heard that the hon. Lady was opposed to the proposal, I took the liberty—I hope she does n...

Order. Sit down, Mr Jenrick. [Interruption.] I suggest you sit down—[Interruption.] Order. Mr Fly...

I am delighted that the hon. Member for Newark (Robert Jenrick) takes such a close interest in Gr...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

This expense is simply to continue a tradition because that is the way it has always been—that se...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

We support this industry and agree that it is worth maintaining—[Interruption.] In response to th...

It falls to this House to debate issues both large and small. Today’s debate has shown that this ...

It is absolutely inappropriate for the Government to dictate to the Houses of Parliament by a pay...

This is indeed a matter for the House, and this House is just about to make sure that its view is...

The Minister is distorting the point I made. This is a vanity issue. Does he not realise that the...

It is only because of the careful management of public finances that we can preserve and safeguar...

I am grateful to the Minister for letting me intervene, especially as I wanted to make a similar ...

I agree with the hon. Lady about the importance of our traditions. The Heritage Crafts Associatio...

I would like to take the opportunity to add to that list the charter for the Salford Hundred, a d...

And to places around the country: Grimsby, Salford, Chester—you name it. [Interruption.] Ebbsflee...

What a fine debate this has been. It has been well informed and impassioned on all sides. I belie...

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I just want to clarify one point. The Minister for the Ca...

Order. Never mind the hon. Gentleman having his hand in his pocket, I want to hear the point of o...

The first page of the Minister’s speech was of course not printed on vellum. It may have been pri...

All I can tell the hon. Gentleman is that that is not a point for the Chair, and I am certainly n...