§ Mr. Oliverasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied that a complete up-to-date register of traders covered by the census of distribution is available for the sending out of forms.
Mr. H. WilsonAs no comprehensive list of retail, wholesale, catering, and other distributive and repair establishments covered by the census of distribution was available in the Board of Trade or elsewhere, various methods of compiling a list of traders' names and addresses were tested in 1947 at the time of the pilot census. It was found that the least costly method, consistent with completeness, was to use census staff to list on the spot names, addresses and kind of business done, checking or supplementing the information so obtained against information available from other sources. Traders will not be questioned personally, or put to any inconvenience in the listing which is now going on throughout the country. The results will be compiled at the census office into the register of businesses to which forms will be sent at the end of this year.