§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Trade if, in view of the difficulties caused to industry and commerce by the non-publication of the trade statistics for imports and exports for March to August 1981, he will take steps to expedite publication.
§ Mr. Peter ReesAll available resources are being devoted at Her Majesty's customs statistical office to processing the backlog of trade statistics resulting from the Civil Service industrial dispute last year. The figures will be published, month by month, as soon as they are processed. The backlog is expected to be cleared by the middle of the year.