THE DEMISE OF HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE

3.12.02pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 11th Oct 2006

Jenny Randerson, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Cardiff Central, has condemned the demise of the TSO (The Stationery Office) in St Mary Street, which closed on the 15th September, along with offices in Birmingham and Manchester. The company announced the closures to the public at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday, 13th September, and closed to the public two days later on Friday, 15th September. The only remaining bookshops are in Belfast, Edinburgh and London.

The original HMSO was founded in 220 years ago in 1786 as a result of the reform of the Royal Household and Civil Service, which had been advocated by the influential Whig MP, Edmund Burke MP. His reforms abolished many of the corrupt and extravagant practices that thrived with the old system of patronage under which those with influence at Court were rewarded. The newly formed HMSO had to be seen to be above the corrupt practices of the past, so in 1806 the Treasury ordered that paper, parchment, pens and sealing wax should be bought by public and open competition and, in 1812, this was extended to the purchase of all forms of stationery.

However, like many other government services, HMSO was privatised in 1996, when it became the TSO, and all legislation, including Statutory Instruments made by the National Assembly for Wales, are now either available online or published by a private sector contractor and subject to a charge for print copies.

Commenting on these changes, Jenny Randerson said:

"Unlike the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly no longer has a TSO in Wales. It seems that we have come full circle, with the Government's recent "sale of honours" scandal and its unquenchable thirst for privatisation. Whilst I appreciate that many documents are now available on-line, nothing can quite replace the ability to wander into a shop and browse through bound hard-copies and not all people have access to on-line facilities".