§ 53. Mr. Cantasked the Minister of Labour whether he is satisfied that the annual Family Expenditure Survey gives a sufficiently accurate picture of the nation's spending to justify its continued publication; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsYes. The Family Expenditure Survey is the only comprehensive source of information on household expenditure and it also provides much other valuable information not easily obtained elsewhere. The margins of error are published with the expenditure figures and are generally small so that the information is not misleading. The error margins are wider on a few infrequently purchased commodities where the expenditure may be large but from 1967 onwards the Survey is to be expanded so that in future all figures will be more accurate.