11 MARCH 1955, Page 34

ALTHOUGH there are no major changes in the A bstract

this year, its scope has been increased by the addition of some new tables on a variety of subjects—cinema takings, educa- tional building in Scotland, employment vacan- cies in Britain, value of gross agricultural output—and several old tables have been re- vised. For the benefit of those who have not come across this publication, it should perhaps be said that it gives annual figures for the years 1938 and 1944-53. covering almost the whole field of Britain's economy—population, social conditions, education, labour, production, con- sumption, and so on. The Abstract is prepared by the Central Statistical Office in collabora- tion with Government Departments.

IVOR BRIEN