§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Industry why the finance director has left Govan Shipbuilders Limited.
§ Mr. KaufmanThe Financial Director's impending departure from Govan Shipbuilders Limited was known and made public in the Press over three months ago. He has left to take up an offer of employment from another commercial concern.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the output of Govan Shipbuilders in terms of gross registered tonnage per man in each year since the company was formed and on a proportionate basis for the current year to date.
§ Mr. KaufmanThe information is as follows:
Gross registered tonnage completed per man in— 1973 … … 22.8 tons 1974 … … 17.5 tons 1975 to date … … 20.4 tons The hon. Member will appreciate that these figures depend inter alia on the degree of sophistication of the ships being built at any particular time.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Industry what improvement in productivity at Govan Shipbuilders Limited was aimed at in the report by Hill Samuel; to what extent this improvement has failed to materialise; and what are the reasons for the failure.
§ Mr. KaufmanIn arriving at its conclusions Hill Samuel assumed a doubling of the productivity rates by the end of the fourth year of operation. To date, productivity has remained broadly at the levels which were operating when the company was formed in 1972. The reason for this is that, firstly, the original assumption was over optimistic, and secondly, that capital equipment which256W should help to increase productivity has not yet come on stream. The company's proposals for further assistance, which the Government are now considering, are based on more conservative productivity assumptions.