§ Mr. Bullardasked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give details of the method of calculating the Net Agricultural Output as used in the Economic Survey, 1953.
§ Sir T. DugdaleI would refer my hon. Friend to the foreword and first two sections of Agricultural Statistics, United Kingdom, Part II, published this year, of which a copy is available in the Library of the House. Briefly, estimates are made of the volume of output of each commodity for each year and the volumes are valued at the prices ruling in 1945–46. This gives a series of figures for gross output at constant prices. The volume of 61W farmers' purchases of feedingstuffs, livestock and seeds is estimated and valued in the same way and the amount deducted from the estimate of gross output to give the figures for net output for each year. These are expressed in index number form, that for 1936–9 being put at 100.