ABSTRACT
The French industrial planning bodies appear, however, less interested in assisting firms to improve their productivity than in explaining the policy of the Planning Commission. The barrier to a better appraisal by firms of their own and their competitors' relative efficiency is not merely lack of interest in making such assessments. The problem of examining the performance of foreign industries, extrapolating the economic trends they manifest, applying them to the British situation, and ensuring that firms appreciate their relevance and know what action to take, presents many difficulties. Many people in industry are worried about the performance of the British economy, and such people might well be prepared to co-operate in an effort to improve their own and their country's efficiency. The Cotton Board is not only useful for disseminating statistics and the use of techniques to its industry.
