HC Deb 12 December 1986 vol 107 cc264-5W
Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all the changes that have been made since 1979 in his Department in the presentation of statistical information; and what further changes are now planned.

Mr. Butcher

[pursuant to his reply, 10 December 1986, c. 86]: Major statistical changes in the period since 1979 were listed in my reply to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) on 8 December 1986 at column 22–26. Further changes planned, or under serious consideration, are shown in the tables.

In addition to these changes, the Department is going ahead with plans, as part of the Government's initiative on tradeable information, to disseminate in computer-readable format a wide range of its existing statistical series. In 1988 a wide variety of indices and constant price series will be rebased to reflect the pattern of production and prices in 1985 rather than 1980.

Statistical series/inquiry Nature of change
Annual Census of Production (Manufacturing) Use of the company (rather than the establishment) as the main basis for reporting from 1988.
Retailing Inquiry The pattern will be revised, with "full" inquiries conducted in respect of 1986 and 1990, and intermediate inquiries in the intervening years.
Service Trades Inquiry The inquiry will be extended to cover legal and certain health and educational services.

Table 2

Changes under consideration
Statistical series/inquiry Nature of change
Quarterly Sales Inquiry A review is nearing completion and may recommend some restructuring of the quarterly, and monthly sales inquiries.
Value Added and Data Services Collection and possible publication of statistics from VADS licence holders.
Computer-held Databases Collection and publication of statistics on revenue from computer-held databases from database hosts.
Information Technology Publication of an IT products Business Monitor.
Cinema Collection and publication of cinema statistics.
Trade Performance Ratios Production and publication of early estimates of trade performance ratios.