Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 117 / Monday, June 17, 1996 / Notices 30591

Respondents: Research facilities, ‘‘A’’

and ‘‘B’’ dealers, exhibitors, carriers,

intermediate handlers, pounds, and

shelters.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

8,564.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 10.152.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 86,945 hours.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for Office of Management and Budget

approval of the information collection.

Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of

June 1996.

Terry L. Medley,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 96–15280 Filed 6–14–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission For OMB Review;

Comment Request

DOC has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of the Census.

Title: Current Retail Sales and

Inventory Survey.

Form Number(s): B–101(97), 102(97),

103(97), 111(97), 112(97), 113(97),

114(97).

Agency Approval Number: 0607–

0717.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 30,693 hours.

Number of Respondents: 11,060.

Avg Hours Per Response: 14 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The Current Retail

Sales and Inventory Survey provides

estimates of monthly sales and end–of–

month merchandise inventories for

retail stores in the United States by

selected kinds of business. Sales and

inventory data provide a current

statistical picture of the retail portion of

consumer activity. Monthly estimates of

changes in sales and the value and

levels of inventory are used by

government and non–government

analysts in gauging economic trends and

formulating economic policy. The

current sampling methodology for this

survey uses both fixed and rotating

panels. Larger companies report

monthly in the fixed panel. Most small

and medium sized companies report

every three months and are asked to

report data for the two most recent

months. The current design is

susceptible to large revisions in

preliminary–to–final estimates due to

imbalances in the rotating panels and

differential response bias between

current and previous month data. We

will implement a totally fixed panel

design for the next sample revision

starting in early 1997 in order to

minimize these revisions. The sample

redesign will also permit more accurate

identification of unusual responses and

will facilitate reconciling differences

with other Census Bureau surveys. We

plan to gauge and monitor the effects of

the sample redesign on an ongoing

basis.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for–profit institutions.

Frequency: Monthly.

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: Jerry Coffey, (202)

395–7314.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Dan Haigler, Acting

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

room 5312, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to Jerry Coffey, OMB Desk

Officer, room 10201, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: June 6, 1996.

Dan Haigler,

Acting Departmental Forms Clearance

Officer, Office of Management and

Organization.

[FR Doc. 96–15241 Filed 6–14–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–F

Submission For OMB Review;

Comment Request

DOC has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of the Census.

Title: Monthly Wholesale Trade

Survey.

Form Number(s): B–310.

Agency Approval Number: 0607–

0190.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 4,614 hours.

Number of Respondents:3,298.

Avg Hours Per Response: 7 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The Bureau of the

Census conducts the Monthly

Wholesale Trade Survey to obtain sales

and inventory data from a sample of

merchant wholesalers. From the data we

gather, we produce statistics on

wholesale sales, end–of–month

inventories, methods of inventory

valuation, and stock/sales ratios. The

Bureau of Economic Analysis uses these

statistics in its calculations of the gross

domestic product (GDP) and to improve

the reliability of inventory adjustments

applied in the quarterly GDP estimates.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses

these statistics as input to its Producer

Price Indexes and in developing

productivity measurements. Other

government agencies and businesses use

these statistics for planning and

development and to gauge the current

trends of the economy. Current data on

wholesale trade also enable us to make

comparisons with the five–year

wholesale census data. The current

sampling methodology for this survey

uses both fixed and rotating panels.

Larger companies report monthly in the

fixed panel. Most small and medium

sized companies report every three

months and are asked to report data for

the two most recent months. The

current design is susceptible to large

revisions in preliminary–to–final

estimates due to imbalances in the

rotating panels and differential response

bias between current and previous

month data. We will implement a totally

fixed panel design for the next sample

revision starting in early 1997 in order

to minimize these revisions. The sample

redesign will also permit more accurate

identification of unusual responses and

will facilitate reconciling differences

with other Census Bureau surveys. We

plan to gauge and monitor the effects of

the sample redesign on an ongoing

basis.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for–profit institutions, Federal

Government, State, local or tribal

government.

Frequency: Monthly.

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: Jerry Coffey, (202)

395–7314.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Dan Haigler, Acting

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

room 5312, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to Jerry Coffey, OMB Desk

Officer, room 10201, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.