§ Mr. CLAUDE LOWTHERasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the magnitude of the capital now involved in municipal reproductive undertakings and the increased range of legislation requiring accurate statistical data for its due consideration, he will carry out some of the recommendations of the committee appointed by the Right Hon. W. H. Smith, which reported in December, 1879, with regard to the establishment of a small central office for specialised statistical work to prevent overlapping and to supply the want of cooperation between Government Departments and different municipalities in the publication of statistics, and to collate and to deal with returns from different sources in their general as distinguished from their Departmental or local significance?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hobhouse)The suggestion is attended by many practical difficulties; but I will give further consideration to the question.