§ Mr. Gouldasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in respect of the statistics kept and published by his 694W Deparment, he will publish in the Official Report any changes since 1979 in (a) the statistical series which are published, including those which have been introduced and those which have been dropped, (b) the basis on which any elements in the statistics are estimated, calculated or presented, (c) the periods over which, and the dates on which the series are collected or published and (d) any other respects in the ways in which the statistics are collected, recorded, presented, evaluated, or published; and if he will explain the reasons for any such changes.
§ Mr. MacGregorThere are two major blocks of statistics which the Treasury publishes, public expenditure statistics and Civil Service manpower statistics.
The key document containing and describing the public expenditure statistics is the annual public expenditure White Paper, though figures are also given in the Autumn Statement, the summary and guide to the Supply Estimates, the Estimates booklets, the Appropriation Accounts and the Financial Statement and Budget Report.
Civil Service manpower statistics are published annually by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in "Civil Service Statistics".
Changes in the basis of compilation, presentation and publication of statistical series are made from time to time in response to requests from the Treasury and Civil Service Committee, the Government's requirements for statistical information, changes in the administrative systems on which some series are based, the development of new statistical techniques and technological developments affecting the compilation and dissemination of statistical data.
When such changes are made they are fully documented in the relevant statistical publications or in special articles such as those in Economic Trends in November 1983 and August 1985.