11478 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 1997 / Notices

the Gross Domestic Product; the indexes

are also used in formulating U.S. trade

policy and in trade negotiations with

other countries. In the private sector,

uses of the Export Price Indexes include

market analysis, inflation forecasting,

contract escalation, and replacement

cost accounting. The IPP indexes are closely followed

statistics which are viewed as sensitive

indicators of the economic environment.

The Department of Commerce uses the

monthly statistics to produce monthly

and quarterly estimates of inflationadjusted trade flows. Without

continuation of data collection, it would

be extremely difficult to construct

accurate estimates of the U.S. Gross

Domestic Product. In addition, Federal

policy-makers in the Department of the

Treasury, the Council of Economic

Advisors, and the Federal Reserve Board

utilize these statistics on a regular basis

to improve these agencies’ formulation

and evaluation of monetary and fiscal

policy, and evaluation of the general

business environment.

Current Actions

The IPP continues to modernize data

collection and processing to permit

more timely release of its indexes and

to reduce reporting burden. The IPP is

using the telephone rather than personal

visits for initiation in limited situations.

We believe that initiation by telephone

reduces reporting burden with no loss

in response. Other potential initiation

techniques to reduce burden being

reviewed include less frequent sampling

of more stable item areas, use of broader

item areas in certain cases, and

retention of items initiated in previous

samples which reporters still trade. To

reduce the time required for processing

new items, direct entry of initiation data

from the field will be tested. Also, for

repricing, the use of fax telephone lines

to permit direct collection and entry

into our database is being considered. In

addition, use of the Internet for monthly

repricing is being reviewed, contingent

upon the resolution of questions relating

to the security of the data.

Type of Review: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Title: International Price Program—

U.S. Export Price Indexes.

OMB Number: 1220–0025.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Form Total

respondents Frequency Total annualresponses

Average time

per response

(hrs.)

Estimated total

burden (hrs.)

2894B ................................................ 1613 Annually ............................................ 1613 .75 1210

3008 ................................................... 1613 Annually ............................................ 1613 .25 403.25

3007D ................................................ 3235 Monthly .............................................

Quarterly ...........................................

38540 .53 20426.2

Total ........................................... 4848 ........................................................... 41766 ........................ 22039

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):

$0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintenance): $0.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request; they also

will become a matter of public record.

Signed at Washington, D.C., this 6th day of

March, 1997.

W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,

Acting Chief, Division of Management

Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[FR Doc. 97–6147 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–24–M

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden,

conducts a pre-clearance consultation

program to provide the general public

and Federal agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden (time and

financial resources) is minimized,

collection instruments are clearly

understood, and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed. Currently, the Bureau

of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

revision of the ‘‘International Price

Program—U.S. Import Price Indexes.’’

A copy of the proposed information

collection request (ICR) can be obtained

by contacting the individual listed

below in the addressee section of this

notice.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted to the office listed in the

addressee section below on or before

May 12, 1997.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is

particularly interested in comments

which:

—Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

—Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s

estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

—Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

—Minimize the burden of the collection

of information on those who are to

respond, including through the use of

appropriate automated, electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms

of information technology, e.g.,

permitting electronic submissions of

responses.

ADDRESSESS: Send comments to Karin

G. Kurz, BLS Clearance Officer, Division

of Management Systems, Bureau of

Labor Statistics, Room 3255, 2

Massachusetts Avenue, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20212. Ms. Kurz can

be reached on 202–606–7628 (this is not

a toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The U.S. Import Price Indexes,

produced continuously by the Bureau of

Labor Statistics’ International Price

Program (IPP) since 1971, measure price

change over time for all categories of

imported products, as well as many

services. The Office of Management and

Budget has listed the Import Price

Indexes as a major economic indicator

since 1982.

The indexes are widely used in both

the public and private sectors. The

primary public sector use is the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 1997 / Notices 11479

deflation of the U.S. Trade statistics and

the Gross Domestic Product; the indexes

are also used in formulating U.S. trade

policy and in trade negotiations with

other countries. In the private sector,

uses of the Import Price Indexes include

market analysis, inflation forecasting,

contract escalation, and replacement

cost accounting.

The IPP indexes are closely followed

statistics which are viewed as sensitive

indicators of the economic environment.

The Department of Commerce uses the

monthly statistics to produce monthly

and quarterly estimates of inflationadjusted trade flows. Without

continuation of data collection, it would

be extremely difficult to construct

accurate estimates of the U.S. Gross

Domestic Product. In addition, Federal

policy-makers in the Department of the

Treasury, the Council of Economic

Advisors, and the Federal Reserve Board

utilize these statistics on a regular basis

to improve these agencies’ formulation

and evaluation of monetary and fiscal

policy, and evaluation of the general

business environment.

Current Actions

The IPP continues to modernize data

collection and processing to permit

more timely release of its indexes and

to reduce reporting burden. The IPP is

using the telephone rather than personal

visits for initiation in limited situations.

We believe that initiation by telephone

reduces reporting burden with no loss

in response. Other potential initiation

techniques to reduce burden being

reviewed include less frequent sampling

of more stable item areas, use of broader

item areas in certain cases, and

retention of items initiated in previous

samples which reporters still trade. To

reduce the time required for processing

new items, direct entry of initiation data

from the field will be tested. Also, for

repricing, the use of fax telephone lines

to permit direct collection and entry

into our database is being considered. In

addition, use of the Internet for monthly

repricing is being reviewed, contingent

upon the resolution of questions relating

to the security of the data.

Type of Review: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Title: International Price Program—

U.S. Import Price Indexes.

OMB Number: 1220–0026.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Form Total

respondents Frequency Total annualresponses

Average time

per response

(hrs.)

Estimated total

burden (hrs.)

3007B .............................................. 1,725 Annually .......................................... 1,725 1 1,725

3008 ................................................ 1,725 Annually .......................................... 1,725 .334 576.15

3007D .............................................. 3,235 Monthly/Quarterly ............................ 38,540 .56 21,582.4

Total ......................................... 4,960 ......................................................... 41,990 .......................... 23,884

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):

$0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintenance): $0.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request; they also

will become a matter of public record.

Signed at Washington, D.C., this 6th day of

March, 1997.

W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,

Acting Chief, Division of Management

Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[FR Doc. 97–6148 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–24–M

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Proposed Collection: Comment

Request

Title of Collection: Public

Understanding of and Attitudes Toward

Science and Technology.

In compliance with the requirement

of Section 3508(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for

opportunity for public comment on

proposed data collection projects, the

National Science Foundation (NSF)

publishes periodic summaries of

proposed projects. Such a notice was

published at Federal Register 67350,

dated December 20, 1996. No comments

were received.

The materials are now being sent to

OMB for review. Send any written

comments to Desk Officer, OMB, 3145–

033, OIRA, OMB, Washington, D.C.

20503. OMB should receive comments

within 30 days after the date of this

notice.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility, (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information, (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected, and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated data collection

techniques and other forms of

information.

Proposed Project: Study of the Public

Understanding of and Attitudes Toward

Science and Technology—New—A

telephone survey of approximately

2,000 adults aged 18 and over.

The proposed survey continues a

series of national surveys of public

understanding of and attitudes toward

science and technology that began in

1972. It is used in the preparation of a

chapter in the Science and Engineering

Indicators reports by the National

Science Board, as mandated by Section

4(j)(I) of the National Science

Foundation Act of 1950, as amended.

The Science and Engineering Indicators

report and the chapter on public

understanding and attitudes are widely

used by planners and program

development staff in: federal and state

agencies, universities, research centers,

and similar institutions, and by

journalists and other individuals

seeking to communicate with the public

concerning science and technology. The

average burden per respondent is

estimated to be 22 minutes, producing

a total burden of 733 hours for the

complete study.

Dated: March 6, 1997.

Gail A. McHenry,

NSF Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–6070 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

Special Emphasis Panel in Networking

and Communications Research and

Infrastructure; Notice of Meeting

In accordance with the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463, as amended), the National Science

Foundation announces the following

meeting.

Name: Special Emphasis for Connections

to the Internet Panel (#1207).