asked the Secretary of State for the Environment pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn, Official Report, 23 April, c. 162–3, why he is unable to provide any later estimate of rate payments by manufacturing industry in £s million and as a proportion of manufacturing costs, excluding rates and taxes, than for 1979.

Figures on rate payments by manufacturing industry and manufacturing costs are obtained from the business statistics office annual censuses of production. Information for 1980 is expected to become available before the end of this year.