§ Mr. Canavanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish the most up-to-date Treasury forecasts of the rate of (a) unemployment and (b) inflation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Geoffrey Howe, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20 June 1979], gave the following answer:
Forecasts of increases in the retail price index were published in table 3 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report. Forecasts of unemployment are subject to such wide margins of error that it is the practice of this Government, as of previous Administrations, not to publish such forecasts.