§ Sir R. CLOUGHasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will instruct the British representative abroad in all the chief European countries to supply for publication in a White Paper detailed information in local currency of the average weekly working-class expenditure on the necessities of life?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEI am afraid that an investigation on the lines indicated by my hon. Friend would impose a heavy burden upon our Commercial Diplomatic and Consular officers in 1739W European countries, whose staffs in many cases have been recently reduced in the interests of economy. It would also appear doubtful, from enquiries which I have made, whether the results obtained would be of real value for comparative purposes owing to variations in the standards of living and fluctuations in the internal value of the currencies of many European countries. I trust, therefore, that my hon. Friend will not press his request.