Important and impressive as it is to have Parliament sitting
regularly three days a week, exercising its essential functions not only of legislation but of criticism and revision, the value of it is lamentably though inevitably diminished by the pre- sent inadequacy of Parliamentary reports in the Press. The papers are in no way to blame for that ; they are fettered by the paper ration, and have to abbreviate at every point. In the case of Parliament it is increasingly the practice to give a fair summary of an opening Ministerial statement, sum up most of the ensuing debate—consisting often of most important and valuable criticisms—with the words " after further dis- cussion," and end with a brief résumé of the Government reply. There is no way out of this that I can see, the paper situation being what it is, but it makes Hansard indispensable to anyone who wants to know what Parliament is doing—or at any rate saying. Hansard costs as. 6d. a week, but it is usually very good reading.
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