§ Q5. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister what progress has been made in the modernisation and extension of the work of the Central Statistical Office.
§ The Prime MinisterThe comprehensive review of statistical information available to the Government, of which my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State told my hon. Friend on 8th December last, will, I hope, be completed in the near future. It will then be possible to take whatever steps are necessary to extend the work of the Central Statistical Office and of the Government Statistical Services generally.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs my right hon. Friend himself taking a personal interest in this? Is he aware that the statistical output of the Central Statistical Office is grossly inadequate? Can he say whether it was this which explained the behaviour of the Leader of the Opposition before the last General Election?
§ The Prime MinisterI think it is generally agreed that more information is needed, both on certain economic questions and, above all, on certain financial questions on which the Radcliffe Committee reported. I certainly would not accept any criticism of the Central Statistical Office, certainly not in respect of any deficiencies in the presentation of economic truths a year ago.
§ Mr. Stratton MillsHas the Central Statistical Office any records to show how long it is since dealings were suspended in Government securities?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is not a matter for the Central Statistical Office, but I have been looking at what it has 841 been doing. I find that despite all the crabbing of right hon. Members opposite, the balance of trade figure in the first four months this year as published by the Central Statistical Office—[Interruption.]—since this was not supplied to the right hon. Gentleman's speech writer yesterday, it might be useful to him and I give it to him now—has fallen to nearly one-third of the gap in the first four months of last year.
§ Mr. MaudlingDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that this improvement has anything whatever to do with his policies?
§ The Prime MinisterIn answer to the Shadow Foreign Secretary, I would point out that the shadow Chancellor, I think he is, sitting next to him, spent a little time at Question Time two weeks ago blaming the Government for the slightly adverse fall in the trade figures between one month and another. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman can sort it out and brief his right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The debate must be business.