HC Deb 20 March 1952 vol 497 cc2529-30
14. Mr. Gerald Nabarro

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many census of production and census of distribution forms are to be sent out by his Department in 1952; what is the average number of questions to be answered on each form; and what steps he is taking to simplify the questionnaire, consolidate questions, and economise in expenditure in the statistical department of his Department.

24. Mr. Sidney Marshall

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in connection with the census of production for 1951 applying to the leather goods trade, he will in future adopt a more simplified form than the present No. 172.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

In 1952, no census of distribution forms will be issued. Census of production forms, which were normally sent out in January, will total about 275,000. Nearly 200,000 of these were sent to the smaller firms, and ask for only very limited information. The number of questions to be answered cannot readily be expressed as an average, but I will send my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) a typical census of production form.

I am carefully considering the future programme of the census. In the census of production to be taken in 1953, which was described in the Board of Trade Journal of 29th December, 1951, sampling will be introduced for the first time and the questions will be fewer than in any previous census.

Mr. Nabarro

Is my right hon. Friend aware that I have here a census of production form with 12 pages and 250 questions on it? If he sends out 275,000 of these forms, it is going to result in him receiving more than 65 million answers? What would my right hon. Friend be doing with 65 million answers? Could he abate this extravaganza and introduce some economy into the statistical departments?

Mr. Thorneycroft

The number of answers required varies between firm and firm and industry and industry. I quite agree that the total number added together would be rather difficult to deal with, but in principle this census of production provides useful information and it is on the whole better for Governments to proceed with some knowledge of the facts.