British politicians have voted to stop printing all new laws on calf skin, ending a tradition which dates back five centuries to the reign of King Henry VIII.
The House of Lords, which oversees the printing of copies of parliamentary legislation for the archives, has been lobbying for the change. Some of its members claim that if laws are printed on paper instead it will save the public purse £80,000.
In reality, this represents a tiny fraction of the annual parliamentary budget. The decision to scrap vellum parchment – which is made from the skin of calves – will also put a hole in the profits of the small firm which produces the material for the UK parliament.
Last year, MPs in the House of Commons vetoed the Lords’ suggestion of using paper, but last night they backed down and agreed a compromise that the covers of Bills should be on vellum with the inside pages on paper.
British laws have been printed on vellum parchment since the 16th century. It is made by soaking calf-skin in a lime wash, which causes the hair follicles to expand, making it easier to scrape fat and fur from the skin with a curved-bladed knife.
The prepared skin is then washed and stretched onto a wooden frame and scraped further with a lunar knife to create a more even thickness. The skin is then left to dry.
Paper records are considered inferior because they are subject to tearing, decay, chemical changes and insect damage; plus the effects of temperature, light, humidity, dust. Digital records are considered less good than vellum because they are subject to swift technological change and human error. This is why vellum is ranked as the best material for archiving purposes.
One Conservative MP has resigned from the parliamentary committee which took the decision after voting 3-2 for it. James Gray MP said that vital traditions are being lost.
Mr Gray said: “It is the removal of another ancient tradition. The money is peanuts. It is just slicing away at traditions.”
