§ Mr. David Priceasked the Minister of Technology if he will identify the reasons why the August figures for production, deliveries and orders in the mechanical, instrument and electrical engineering industries were not available to his Department in his statistical Press notice of 28th October, 1969; and why in this month his Department received insufficient data.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThe figures which form the basis of these index numbers are derived from a voluntary monthly inquiry sent out to about 1,000 firms. The rate of response has fallen this year because of the revision of the form consequent upon the introduction of the new Standard Industrial Classification and administrative difficulties arising from mergers and take-overs. Returns are always delayed by holidays. The coverage of the industries represented by returns for July and August was too small to justify publication.