HC Deb 07 May 1906 vol 156 c980
MR. BECKETT (Yorkshire, N.R. Whitby)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has any information in his possession which supports the statement in the recent Return of Imports and Exports at prices of 1900 [Code 2894], that the price of machinery has varied in the same way and to the same degree as that of iron and steel; and, if so, will he give particulars.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE, Carnarvon Boroughs)

The Return contains no statement of the kind referred to. The hon. Member appears to have misapprehended the paragraph which explains the assumptions made for the purpose of reducing the margin of error that would have boon caused by assuming that the course of price of articles whose average values are not ascertainable, has corresponded exactly to that of the whole group of articles whose average values have been ascertained. If the hon. Member desires further explanation perhaps he will call at the Board of Trade.