LETTER TO EMILY H. ROCK FROM ROBERT M. GATES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00364R001703270009-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 30, 2008
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 13, 1983
• Content Type: LETTER

Emily H. Rock
Secretary
Federal Trade Commission
Washington, D.C. 20580
I am responding to your letter of 5 October to William J.
Casey, Director, Central Intelligence Agency, on the Federal
Trade Commission's Line of Business Program.
As far as my staff can determine, no one at CIA has used the
line of business data from US manufacturing firms. We would not
expect to use these data in the future, given our focus on non-US
economies. Hence, a decision to discontinue the program would
not adversely affect the CIA.
_nuverr m. ~aates
2 Deputy Director for Intelligence
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee
1 - DDI Registry
2 - ASG
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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Director's Office
Central Intelligence Asency
LH Please prepare reply for secretary's signature
^ Recommendation
FROM: ^ Information
Office of the Secretary
Federal Trade COINl1SSiL IlWhat's the story?
10/13/83
DATE: 0 Note and file
The attached is a corrected copy of
letter originally sen'- t to your office
on October 5.
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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON. D. C. 20580
October 5, 1983
Honorable William J. Casey
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
The Federal Trade Commissions Line of Business program has
collected sales, expense, profitability, and asset data by line
of business from about 450 of the nation's largest manufacturing
firms. Aggregated data for 1974, 1975, and 1976 have been made
available to the public in Annual Line of Business Reports, and
data for 1977, which are currently being processed, should be
published by the end of the year. The disaggregated data are
also available to employees of the Line of Business program who
may use them for research.
Before deciding whether or not to collect and publish
data for years subsequent to 1977, the Commission directed the
staff to conduct an analysis of the costs and benefits of the
program. By Federal Register notices, the Commission also invited
members of the public and other interested parties to comment upon
the program. Individuals from numerous firms, from a number of
universities, and from several federal agencies provided their
views, and the Commission has found those comments most helpful.
Prior to making a final decision regarding the Line of
Business program, the Commission would like to have a more
detailed understanding of how the data are or might be used by-
government agencies, including the. Central Intelligence Agency.
Any additional.information which you could provide would be most
helpful. Since the program is costly to both the FTC and to'the
firms that provide the data, the Commission must decide whether
the total benefits of the program are likely to outweigh the
total costs. To help us with that decision, we would also
appreciate your estimate of what your agency might be willing and
able to pay in order to assist in defraying agency costs for the
future preparation of Line of Business data,
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Page 2
We would appreciate your reply by November 15, 1983. Thank
you in advance for your cooperation.
SIGNED & M LMI
Emily H. Rock
Secretary
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 FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20580
Honorable William J. Casey
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
Ezecutlve Eegtrir)
83-4891
The Federal Trade Commission's Line of Business program has
collected sales, expense, profitability, and asset data by line
of business from about 450 of the nation's largest manufacturing
firms. Aggregated data for 1974, 1975, and 1976 have been made
available to the public in Annual Line of Business Reports, and
data for 1977, which are currently being processed, should be
published by the end of this year. The disacjgregated data are
also available to employees of the Line of Business program who
may use them for research.
Before deciding whether or not to collect and publish data
for years subsequent to 1977, the Commission directed the staff
to conduct an analysis of the costs and benefits of the program.
By Federal Register notices, the Commission also invited members
of the public and other interested parties to comment upon the
program. Individuals from numerous firms, from a number of
universities, and from several federal agencies provided their
views, and the Commission has found those comments most helpful.
Prior to making a final decision regarding the Line of
Business program, the Commission would like to have a more
detailed understanding of how the data are or might be used by
government agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency.
Any additional information which you could provide would be most
helpful. Since the program is costly to both the FTC and to the
firms that provide the data, the Commission must decide whether
the total benefits of the program are likely to outweigh the
 We would appreciate your reply by November 15, 1983. Thank
you in advance for your cooperation.
 Approved For Release 2008/01/30 : CIA-RDP85M00364R001703270009-6
total costs. To help us with that decision, we
would also appreciate your estimate of what your
Agency might be willing and able to pay in order
to assist in defraying Agency costs for the future
preparation of line of business data.
r w rTN
/zR 83-slsai
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