§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he has completed his inquiry into the seasonal adjustment of the returns for industrial production.
§ Mr. ShoreFurther to my reply of 27th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Blyth (Mr. Milne), the fall of two points in the seasonally adjusted index in January was caused mainly by lower activity in the construction industry and by comparatively low demand for gas and electricity due to relatively mild weather compared with the preceding month. The level of industrial activity 289W may also have been affected by the conclusion of a new holiday agreement in the engineering and shipbuilding industries and some reported absenteeism at the New Year.