§ Lord Diamondasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the statistical basis for the statement by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster that "Total output in the United Kingdom is now higher than it was in 1979" (Official Report, 25th July 1984, col. 334).
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Arts (The Earl of Gowrie)The statement was based on movements in gross domestic product (average measure) in 1980 prices. The latest estimates published by the Central Statistical Office show that in the first quarter of 1984 the index was 106.7 and in the second quarter of 1984 was 105.7. The index in 1979 was 102.4. The average measure takes into account all three measures of gross domestic product, based on expenditure data, income data and output data. All three measures were higher in the first two quarters of 1984 than in 1979.
§ The constant 1980 price, seasonally adjusted, index for the average measure of GDP since 1979 is shown below:
| 1979 | 1 | 99.7 | 1982 | 1 | 100.3 |
| 2 | 103.6 | 2 | 100.7 | ||
| 3 | 103.1 | 3 | 100.6 | ||
| 4 | 103.1 | 4 | 101.7 | ||
| 1980 | 1 | 101.8 | 1983 | 1 | 103.1 |
| 2 | 100.6 | 2 | 103.0 | ||
| 3 | 99.1 | 3 | 104.4 | ||
| 4 | 98.4 | 4 | 105.9 | ||
| 1981 | 1 | 98.4 | 1984 | 1 | 106.7 |
| 2 | 98.1 | 2 | 105.7 | ||
| 3 | 98.6 | ||||
| 4 | 99.9 |