§ MR. HICKS BEACHI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade why the Statistical Abstract of the British Empire for 1907 was only issued on the 29th October, 1908; and whether he will consider the possibility of securing the publication of an official volume of such interest at a shorter interval than ten months after the end of the year to which it refers.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI think the hon. Member must refer to the Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom which has just been issued, and not to the Abstract for the British Empire. The reason for the late issue of this volume this year has been already explained in reply to a Question, addressed to me on 14th October by the hon. Member for Norwood, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.