§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the relationship between the figures for the French trade surplus for the United Kingdom in the first half of 1993 as published in revised Intrastat figures in the Eurostat news letter "Edicom/Intrastat (1/94)" and the Central Statistical Office figures for the surplus and what assessment he has made of the effect of any discrepancy on the United Kingdom balance of payments deficit.
§ Sir John CopeFigures in the Eurostat news letter are based on information supplied by member states, but they are, for many countries including the United Kingdom, incomplete. They include only data actually reported by traders without any estimates for the value of non-response or for traders operating below the Intrastat thresholds. As such, they are of limited usefulness. The Central Statistical Office publications include estimates for these amounts, and in its first release, the data are also shown on a consistent basis as used for the compilation of balance of payments estimates.
89WI have already announced that a full quality assurance programme on the United Kingdom's Intrastat figures is under way. One part of this involves detailed comparisons of the estimates from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Netherlands. However, results from this will not be available until later in the year.
Areas used for monthly collection of prices for the retail prices index: Camden Dagenham Reading Hammersmith East Ham Southampton Westminster Ilford High Wycombe Chiswick Woolwich Milton Keynes Finchley Watford Brighton Hendon Newport, Isle of Wight Chichester Hounslow Oxford Crawley Wood Green Portsmouth Eastbourne Chelmsford Winchester Chatham Harlow Croydon Dover Basildon Kingston Harrow Southend Wimbledon Luton Bedford Denton Shrewsbury Bromley Lancaster Hanley Bexleyheath Leigh Leek Cromer Aintree Lichfield Spalding Oldham Stafford Derby St. Helens Birmingham Loughborough Preston Coventry Melton Morwbray Stretford Handsworth Leicester Diss Nuneaton Grimsby Norwich Rugby Hull Thetford Walsall Leeds Cambridge Hereford Sheffield Wisbech Dudley Barnsley Peterborough Halesowen Batley Bungay Kidderminster Bradford Bury St. Edmunds Worcester Goole Ipswich Daventry Halifax Leiston Northampton Huddersfield Bodmin Glossop Keighley Redruth Nottingham Selby St. Austell Worksop York Exeter Lincoln Northallerton Honiton Liverpool Scarborough Plymouth Carlisle Altrincham Bournemouth Maryport Birkenhead Burnham Penrith Ellesmere Port Taunton Darlington Northwick Yeovil Kendal Stockport Cheltenham Alnwick Buxton Bristol Berwick Manchester Stroud Blyth Blackburn Weymouth Barrow Blackpool Sailsbury Middlesborough Bolton Trowbridge Bishop Auckland Burnley Swindon Gateshead Chorley Kings Heath Sunderland Washington Pembroke Dock Glenrothes Newcastle Ayr Elgin Llanelli Dumfries Perth Portmadog Parkhead Galashiels Cardigan Maryhill Grangemouth Llangollen Leith Motherwell Wrexham Musselburgh Belfast Caerphilly Rothesay Omagh Cardiff Aberdeen Ballymena Maesteg Arbroath Bangor Merthyr Tydfil Dundee Portdown Swansea Wick Newport