§ 82. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give an estimate of the cost of the annual census of production for which power is taken in Section 9 of the Import Duties Bill?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe arrangements for the statistics of production, for which powers are proposed to be taken by the Board of Trade under Clause 9 of the Bill, will be combined as far as possible with the existing arrangements under which a general census of production is taken at longer intervals. In these circumstances no precise estimate of costs can be given, but the additional expenditure for the coming financial year will be negligible, and so far as can be foreseen that for 1933–34 should not exceed £5,000.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODThat takes no account of the expense to which manufacturers will be put?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNo, Sir, I have no means of ascertaining what that will amount to.