§ 66. Mr. G. LOCKER-LAMPSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will reconsider his decision, and invite his Department to prepare, to the best of their ability, a statement showing approximately the wealth and income of the country?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI fear I can only repeat that in my opinion no estimate of the present national income of the United Kingdom is sufficiently trustworthy to justify me in adopting it officially.
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSDNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the United States Government periodically publish official statistics of the income of the United States, and if they can do it in that country why cannot we do it here?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have no desire to criticise the action of another Government. I am responsible only for the estimates for which I make myself responsible, and I am not prepared to make myself responsible for an official estimate of the income of this country. [H0N. MEMBERS: "Why not?"] Because those who are best qualified to make such estimates vary immensely in the estimates which they do make.
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUELWill the right hon. Gentleman be willing to call in such men as Mr. Edgar Orammond and other expert statisticians, and allow the country itself to come to some estimate from their varying estimates, so that we might know what the income and outgoings of the country are?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIt is not necessary for me to call these gentlemen in. They make their own estimates, which are public property.
Mr. G. TERRELLConsidering the great importance of this matter, will the right hon. Gentleman see his way to appoint a small Committee of Member of the House?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINDoes my hon. Friend really think he or I or other Members of the House are competent to make estimates of this nature?