§ Mr. Jeffrey Archerasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he will name the 25 companies in the United Kingdom with the largest number of employees;
(2) whether he will name the 25 companies in the United Kingdom with the highest stock market quotation;
(3) whether he will name the 25 largest joint stock companies registered and publicly quoted in the United Kingdom;
(4) whether he will name the 25 companies in the United Kingdom with the largest trading profit;
(5) whether he will name the 25 companies in the United Kingdom with the largest turnover.
§ Mr. Tugendhatasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will name the 25 largest United Kingdom companies quoted on the London Stock Exchange under the following criteria; (1) employees in the United Kingdom, 231W (2) turnover, (3) trading profits before tax, and (4) market capitalisation at the last convenient date.
§ Sir G. HoweThe lists which follow are based on the most recent information readily available. The rankings depend upon the dates to which the information relates and are liable to change as further information becomes available. The dates are indicated in the lists; for some companies there are later figures for profits or turnover than for number of employees.
The 25 largest quoted companies may be identified by omitting the non-quoted companies indicated by an asterisk, and adding the quoted companies next in order of size, which are also listed.
COMPANIES WITH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM Average number Year ending General Electric Company 181,000 31.3.72 British Leyland Motor Corporation 164,207 30.9.72 Imperial Chemical Industries 135,000 31.12.72 Courtaulds 128,046 31.3.72 Grand Metropolitan 88,969 30.9.72 Unilever 84,933 31.12.72 Guest Keen and Nettlefolds 77,045 31.12.72 Thorn Electrical Industries 76,192 31.3.72 Associated British Foods 75,975 31.3.72 Joseph Lucas Industries 72,292 31.7.72 Ford Motor Company* 67,000 31.12.72 Reed International 67,000 31.3.72 Hawker Siddeley Group 65,500 31.12.72 Philips Electronic and Associated* 64,065 31.12.71 Plessey 61,778 30.6.72 Imperial Group 61,000 31.10.72 Sears Holdings 59,000 31.1.72 Boots 58,772 31.3.72 Bass Charrington 58,341 30.9.72 Rank Hovis McDougall 57,179 31.8.72 F. W. Woolworth 56,020 31.12.72 Tube Investments 52,997 31.12.72 Dunlop Holdings 52,000 31.12.72 Allied Breweries 50,305 30.9.72 Cavenham 49,000 (at 1.4.72) * Non-quoted company. The two quoted companies next in order are: Great Universal Stores 48,998 31.3.72 Trust House Forte 45,000 31.10.72 232W
COMPANIES WITH THE HIGHEST MARKET CAPITALISATION Estimated value of ordinary shares at 15th June 1973 £ million British Petroleum 2,201 Shell Transport and Trading 1,845
Imperial Chemical Industries 1,310 Marks and Spencer 892 General Electric Company 756 Imperial Group 685 Unilever 666 Burmah Oil 645 British-American Tobacco 641 Great Universal Stores 633 Rank Organisation 620 Thorn Electrical Industries 545 Rio Tinto-Zinc 535 Distillers 528 Boots 475 Allied Breweries 421 Courtaulds 415 Bass Charrington 392 Beecham Group 388 Guest Keen and Nettlefolds 364 F. W. Woolworth 323 Grand Metropolitan 306 Sears Holdings 278 Consolidated Gold Fields 261 Reed International 254 COMPANIES WITH THE LARGEST PROFITS
Companies have been ranked in order of total net profits, including non-trading income, not trading profits alone, because more up-to-date figures are available on this basis. The profits are net of depreciation but not interest and tax.
233W
Net profits before interest and tax Year ending £ million British Petroleum 776 31.12.72 Imperial Chemical Industries 211 31.12.72 British-American Tobacco 178 30.9.72 Rio Tinto-Zinc 119 31.12.72 Shell Transport and Trading 118 31.12.72 Rank Xerox* 112 31.10.72 Unilever 104 31.12.72 General Electric Company 92 31.3 72 Imperial Group 89 31.10.72 Courtaulds 86 31.3.73 Marks and Spencer 73 31.3.73 Distillers 70 31.3.72 Allied Breweries 64 30.9.72 Great Universal Stores 63 31.3.72 Esso Petroleum 62 31.12.72 Grand Metropolitan 61 30.9.72 Boots 58 31.3.72 Ford Motor Company* 56 31.12.72 Rank Organisation 56 31.10.72 Bass Charrington 54 30.9.72 Dunlop Holdings 53 31.12.72 Guest Keen and Nettlefolds 53 31.12.72 Thorn Electrical Industries 53 31.3.72 Reed International 52 31.3.73 Burmah Oil 52 31.12.72 * Non-quoted companies The two quoted companies next in order are: Sears Holdings 52 31.1.73 British Leyland Motor Corporation 52 30.9.72
COMPANIES WITH THE LARGEST TURNOVER Turnover Year ending £ million British Petroleum 3,431 31.12.72 Shell Transport and Trading 3,185† 31.12.72 British-American Tobacco 2,037 30.9.72 Imperial Chemical Industries 1,694 31.12.72 Unilever 1,539 31.12.72 Imperial Group 1,361 31.10.72 British Leyland Motor Corporation 1,281 30.9.72 General Electric Company 975 31.3.72 Ford Motor Company* 798 31.12.72 Courtaulds 777 31.3.73 Associated British Foods 728 31.3.73 Esso Petroleum 724 31.12.72 Dunlop Holdings 636 31.12.72 Guest Keen and Nettlefolds 623 31.12.72 Grand Metropolitan 606 30.9.72 C. Czarnikow* 605 30.9.72 Reed International 598 31.3.73 Bowater Corporation 595 31.12.72 Shipping Industrial Holdings 578 31.12.71 Rio Tinto-Zinc 558 31.12.72 Marks and Spencer 550 31.3.73 Gallaher 515 31.12.72 Great Universal Stores 503 31.3.72 Sears Holdings 486 31.3.73 Allied Breweries 484 30.9.72 * Non-quoted company. † 40 per cent, of turnover Group. The two quoted companies next in order are: Hawker Siddeley Group 466 31.12.72 British Insulated Callender's Cables 461 31.12.72