§ Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) how many businesses will be approached in connection with that statistical inquiry into retail trading to be held for 1976 and 1977;
(2) what is the total estimated cost of conducting the statistical inquiry into retail trading to be held for 1976 and 1977;
(3) what is the object of conducting the statistical survey into retail trading for 1976 and 1977; for what purpose the 577W information will be used; and what Government policies are dependent upon such information.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe retailing inquiry for 1976, to be taken in 1977, will be restricted to a sample of 30,000 out of the 300,000 retailing businesses within the scope of the inquiry. The Business Statistics Office has estimated its costs in holding and processing the inquiry as £400,000 at current costings. The aim of the inquiry for 1976 is to provide reliable and timely statistics of retailing and to provide information needed for the national accounts and for monitoring developments in the economy, in particular on retail sales, capital expenditure and stocks. The information to be collected on credit will be used as a basis for monitoring changes in the pattern of credit trading arising from the new Consumer Credit Act. No firm decisions have yet been taken about the form of the 1977 inquiry, to be taken in 1978.