Examination of Witnesses (Questions 240-241)
MS KATE
BARKER, PROFESSOR
DAVID BLANCHFLOWER,
DR ANDREW
SENTANCE AND
PROFESSOR TIM
BESLEY
24 APRIL 2007
Q240 Chairman: I am thinking, for
example, how about each of you as a member writing a letter to
this Committee or a report every year giving your point of view?
Dr Sentance: I would have no objection
to that if the Committee would like to have that. It is difficult
to judge because every six months on the Committee we have the
opportunity to come and talk to you.
Q241 Chairman: It would help if we
had your views laid down so that we could look at them.
Dr Sentance: If you would find
that helpful then I would have no objection to that at all.
Professor Besley: I do not want
to pour cold water on the idea, but I have one reservation and
that is the timing of the report to you would be rather arbitrary
in terms of what is going on in policy and therefore may focus
too much attention on a particular date in the policy process.
One of the things we have achieved by having an even pattern of
communication with Inflation Reports at regular intervals and
minutes at regular intervals is that we have a rather even pattern
of communication. As long as some way could be established to
make sure that undue significance was not placed on a particular
date which would be somewhat arbitrary in the policy cycle, I
would not oppose it.
Chairman: I think through informal channels
we could achieve that and you would be quite happy with that.
Thank you for your time. It has been very helpful to us.
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