§ 12. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will bring up to date the figures relating to production in manufacturing industries in Scotland contained in Table A of Command Paper No. 2864; and if he will state the total percentage increase in manufacturing production between October, 1964 and the latest available date, and the corresponding percentage increase during the comparable period prior to October, 1964.
§ Mr. RossManufacturing output in Scotland rose between 1964 and 1966 by 2.8 per cent. per annum.
The latest period for which Scottish figures are available is the second quarter of this year. Output in the year to June, 1967 was 8.2 per cent. higher than it was in the year to June, 1964, which was in turn 6.6 per cent. above the level of the year to June, 1961.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneWill the Secretary of State confirm that over the past two years the increase in manufacturing output has been falling and not rising? Is this what he means by the progress in the Scottish economy that he referred to in answer to earlier Questions?
§ Mr. RossThe hon. Member is wrong. Taking the relative rates in relation to the years in respect of which he posed his Question, the rate of growth in Scotland from 1960–61 to 1963–64 was only two-thirds the rate of the United Kingdom as a whole. It has been one-quarter above the United Kingdom raw during the three years to 1966–67.