§ 39. Mr. Ripponasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to improve the form and timing of the statistical information at his disposal.
§ Mr. H. MacmillanI hope to make a statement before the Recess on the plans which we are making to improve our economic statistics.
§ Mr. RipponWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that assurance, may I ask him to bear in mind the possibility of acompanying the monthly trade figures, which are subject to so many distorting factors, by some explanatory memorandum on the terms and trends of trade? Would he not agree that if we do not have something of that nature there is a danger that our economic destinies may be conducted by economists who form unintelligible conclusions on non-existent premises?
§ Mr. MacmillanI will bear that in mind.