§ 23. Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the impact of increasing capital intensity upon employment in manufacturing industry.
§ Mr. GoldingThe issue is being examined carefully. I believe that the effect over time will be complex. In some situations it will produce redundancies; in others, in so far as it increases competitiveness, it will increase employment.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in manufacturing industry in 1960, 1973 and 1976.
§ Mr. GoldingThe numbers of employees in employment in manufacturing industries in Great Britain at June 1960, June 1973 and April 1976 were 8,241,000, 7,664,000 and 7,158,000 respectively. The figure for April 1976 is the latest available and is provisional.