§ MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that practically no entries in the Free Import Registers at the Statistical Department of His Majesty's Customs had been checked for about four years, until the 12th June, 1906, and that the checking of the entries in the British export registers had been intermittent and cursory; and whether, in view of the importance of the Board of Trade Returns of Imports and Exports, and the need for accuracy and reliability, he will take steps to ensure an adequate and efficient supervising staff for the Statistical Office, seeing that during the past ten years, in consequence of the large and important amplification of the returns, the total staff has increased over 60 per cent., while the supervising staff, many of whom have been brought into the Statistical Office possessing no knowledge of statistical work, is considerably less than that in 1895.
(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) I am informed that during the past four years entries have been checked from time to time into the Free Import and British Export Registers, and, in addition, further checks are, and have been applied at various stages of the work in the course of each month, the whole being considered sufficient to insure reasonable accuracy in the accounts. The staff of the Statistical Office in 1895 consisted of 163 persons. Of this number forty-eight were of higher rank than abstractor, while five of the latter rank were in receipt of checking allowances. But the supervising staff was then considered to be in excess of requirements, and the number was in consequence in course of reduction. At the present time the staff consists of 236 persons. Of this number thirty-three are above the rank of abstractor, 160 while thirty-two of the latter grade are now in receipt of checking allowances. The existing supervising staff, together with the checking abstractors, is considered by the Commissioners of Customs to be sufficient to provide for the necessary checking.