HC Deb 06 March 1970 vol 797 cc181-2W
Mr. Blaker

asked the Minister of Technology what was the value for the 12 months to the latest convenient date of capital investment per employee in manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom; and how this compares, from figures available to him from international sources, with the equivalent figure for other member countries of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development.

Mr. Alan Williams

Following is the available information (see note 13). The figures should be interpreted with great caution; there are some differences in definition and in methods of compilation arid the comparisons are influenced by differences in economic structure.

Value of capital investment in manufacturing and construction industries per employee in these industries
Year £ sterling
United Kingdom(*)(1) … 1967 154
1968 167
Austria(‡)(2) … 1967 161
Belgium(†)(3) … 1967 307
Canada(†)(4) … 1967 418
France(‡)(5) … 1966 310
Germany(†)(6) … 1967 219
(Federal Republic) …
Ireland(†)(7) … 1965 147
Italy(†)(8) … 1967 172
Japan(†)(9) … 1966–67 173
Norway (a) (†) … 1967 354
Norway (b)(‡) … 1967 389
Spain(‡) … 1966 188
Sweden(†)(11) … 1967 303
United States(*)(12) … 1967 500
(*) Wage earners and salaried employees.
(†) Civilian Labour Force Employed (includes Self-employed).
(‡) Number of Employees.
(1) Employment in June 1967 and June 1968 (includes persons temporarily laid off).
(2)Investment includes mining and quarrying. Employment in February and August 1967.
(3) Investment figures include gas and steam production and cardealers; exclude the cutting of stone. Employment in June 1967; includes persons working abroad.
(4) Employment of persons 14 years of age and over.
(5)Investment figures include fishing and the quarrying of building materials.
(6) Including West Berlin.
(7) Employment in April 1965.
(8) Investment figures include mining and quarrying and gas, electricity and water. Employment of persons aged 14 or over.
(9) Investment per year ending March 31st, 1967. Employment for 1967—persons aged 15 or over.
(10) Investment figures include mining and quarrying, gas, electricity and water. Employment —number of man years.
(11) Employment of persons aged 14 years or Over.
(12) Figures exclude the construction industry and relate only to the private sector. Employment figure includes persons aged 16 years or over.
(13) Figures for Luxembourg, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Iceland and Turkey are not available.

Sources

Capital expenditure information is from the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development and where available, combines manufacturing and construction industries. Employment figures are from the International Labour Office Year Book 1969; they are available on a variety of bases, generally in respect of employment at a specified date during the year, which may not be appropriate to set besides capital expenditure during the year.

Conversion from the various currencies to pounds sterling has been made at the average official rates for the years concerned, based on material in the U.N. Year Book of National Accounts Statistics 1968; such conversion rates may not be appropriate for the price of capital equipment.