HC Deb 24 July 1952 vol 504 cc753-4
51. Mr. Roy Jenkins

asked the Minister of Labour when the new family budget inquiry recommended by the Cost of Living Advisory Committee in August, 1951, is to be started.

The Minister of Labour (Sir Walter Monckton)

A full-scale budget inquiry based on a representative sample of households throughout the country requires very careful and detailed preparation in order to ensure that the results can be accepted as reflecting a true picture of the pattern of consumers' expenditure. Considerable progress has already been made in drawing up the necessary plans, and the date when the inquiry should be launched is now under consideration by the Cost of Living Advisory Committee.

Mr. Jenkins

In view of the fact that the Advisory Committee stress the urgency of this, also in view of the fact that the field work is likely to take about a year and the collation longer, and the importance of the matter, ought not the Minister now to be able to announce the date by which it will start?

Sir W. Monckton

The difficulty is that the views of the Cost of Living Advisory Committee have been sought on this but have not yet been received in a final shape. I have every confidence that it will not be much beyond the end of the year.