HC Deb 22 November 1949 vol 470 c188
36. Mr. Emrys Hugbes

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish an illustrated booklet dealing with recent Scottish statistics in the same way as the facts about our finances were portrayed in the booklet "The Budget and Your Pocket."

Mr. Woodburn

Statistics relating to employment in the principal Scottish industries, to the output of raw materials and manufactured products, to the progress of factory building and to shipping movements are published each year, together with a wide range of information about economic developments in Scotland, in the White Paper on Industry and Employment. I am afraid that this information would not readily lend itself to pictorial treatment.

Mr. Hughes

Is the Minister aware that the Lord Provost of Edinburgh has recently been in Canada talking about the "grim facts" of Scotland? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the grim facts are that the death rate has gone down, that infantile mortality has gone down and that the tuberculosis rate has gone down? Cannot he publish that in picture form so that the Lord Provost can understand it?

Mr. Woodburn

I think that is a possibility. I will look into the question of whether such a document could be prepared.

Sir William Darling

In answer to the supplementary question the right hon. Gentleman said "that is a possibility." To which possibility does he refer—the intelligence of the Lord Provost or his own ability to produce this booklet?

Mr. Woodburn

For the moment I was referring to the publication.