§ 42. Sir Nicholas Grattan-Doyleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will request the Economic Advisory Council to consider the cost over the coming year to taxpayers, producers, and consumers of a five points rise beyond 190 in the staple commodity index number; to consider the increased national expense of a half per cent. per annum rise for the current year in the cost of estimated fresh Government borrowing; and to contrast the advantages of the present cheap rate of money with the disadvantages in the cost of rearmament and the disadvantages in the cost of living, increased by a rise in prices, caused by cheap money?
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Chamberlain)I do not think that it is possible to contrast the advantages of different policies by any such method as my hon. Friend suggests. The test of present policy is whether industry and employment are improving, as they clearly are at the present time.