§ 3. Mr. David Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now discontinue the practice of translating monthly trade figures into projected 1269 annual rates in his presentations of economic policy.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI cannot discontinue a practice which I have not begun.
§ Mr. HowellWould the Chancellor of the Exchequer in any case accept that if each month a three-month rolling total of the trade returns was published, as suggested by Samuel Brittan in the Financial Times, this would go a long way towards clearing up the situation, and will he make the position clear in people's minds?
§ Mr. JenkinsWe have tried for some time past to get the public to look at the monthly trade returns on a three-months' rolling total basis, and it is certainly the case, as I am glad the hon. Gentleman acknowledges in his supplementary question if not in his original Question, that I have never referred to an annual rate on a monthly basis as opposed to a six-monthly or three-monthly basis.