§ Mr. Rookerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement detailing any reduction or abolition in the collection or publication of statistics or reports by his Department since May 1979, indicating if such information is available from any other source; and what financial savings have been made by any such changes.
§ Mr. Lawson:The Inland Revenue has been able to modify the departmental statistics relating to the progress of tax collection, with a saving in staff costs of about £120,000. This has had no appreciable effect upon the value of the statistics. There has been no reduction or abolition in the collection or publication of statistics or reports by Her Majestys Customs and Excise since May 1979. The work of the Customs statistical office has recently been examined as part of a general review of Government statistical services under the guidance of Sir Derek Rayner. It is expected that Sir Derek's report to the Prime Minister will be received shortly, when his recommendations will be carefully considered.
Following a canvass of users of the Treasury's Economic Progress Report the 125W number of copies distributed has been reduced from approximately 183,000 to 114,000, producing a saving in a full year of £56,000.