§ Lord GridleyMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether industrial productivity is improving.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade (Lord Trefgarne)My Lords, output per person employed rose in volume terms by 1.9 per cent. between the last quarter of 1980 and the first quarter of 1981.
§ Lord GridleyMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. As my Question is the first on the Order Paper today, I should like to ask my noble friend and the Government whether they would not agree that, in the light of the magic of yesterday when we and hundreds of millions of people witnessed the moving scene of two young people, the Prince and Princess of Wales, dedicating their lives to the service of their country, our problems would be lightened immeasurably if all of us everywhere—I include myself—whatever opinions we may hold, could rise above self and think only of our country?
§ Lord TrefgarneMy Lords, I of course agree with my noble friend, but I am afraid that I cannot confirm that the activities of the people to whom my noble friend referred are included in the statistics which I gave.
Lord Paget of NorthamptonMy Lords, can the noble Lord tell us how productivity is measured—whether patriotically, per unit of labour employed or per unit of capital employed?
§ Lord TrefgarneMy Lords, the figure that I gave was calculated in terms of output per person employed, although other measures are sometimes used, like, for example, output per operative hour.
§ Lord LeatherlandMy Lords, in view of the noble Lord's statement that output per worker has increased, are the Government going to take an early opportunity of praising the British workers for their enterprise and devotion?
§ Lord TrefgarneMy Lords, I think that the figure that I mentioned speaks for itself, but I would certainly confirm the view offered by the noble Lord.
Lord Paget of NorthamptonMy Lords, if it is per operative, then artists, craftsmen and such people as those will obviously have the minimum productivity. Is that really realistic?
§ Lord TrefgarneMy Lords, as I have said, the figure to which I referred in the original Answer was calculated in terms of output per person employed, and, of course, the statistics are calculated only by reference to those whose output can be properly measured.
§ Lord BeswickMy Lords, is it not a fact also that output as a percentage of the gross national product is down and not up?
§ Lord TrefgarneYes, my Lords.