Print Acts of Parliament on Paper instead of Vellum — rejected — 1 Nov 1999
The majority of MPs voted against discontinuing the practice of printing all Public Acts of Parliament in duplicate on vellum (calf hide).
This went against a vote in the House of Lords[1] as well as the recommendations of a Select Committee.[2]
The campaign to retain the tradition of continuing to print Acts of Parliament on animal skin was led by Brian White in whose constituency the vellum manufacturer was based.[3] (He assured the House that it was calf-skin, not goat skin.)[4]
The current cost of printing Acts on vellum is approximately £32 per page.[5]
- [1] Nick Palmer MP, House of Commons, 1 November 1999
- [2] Select Committee on Administration, Note by the Clerk of the House, 7 May 1999
- [3] Goat skin tradition wins the day, BBC News, 2 November 1999
- [4] Brian White MP, House of Commons, 1 November 1999
- [5] Contract for producing vellum copies of Acts, Freedom of Information request, 24 September 2008
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