§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the total number of firms employing (a) one to 99 employees, (b) 100 to 999 employees, and (c) over 1,000 employees, for each of the following years, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1978.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 3rd July 1978; Vol. 953, c. 29], gave the following answer:
Information is not available about the size of firms. The nearest available information covering a span of years is compiled by the Business Statistics Office and relates to establishments with 11 or more employees in manufacturing industry. This information is given below for the years for which the information is available and which most closely correspond to those requested.
rapid, decline in employment in the years to 1981, with employment losses in the switching sector being partially offset by gains in transmission and subscribers' apparatus. Future employment levels depend on both the speed of introduction of new technology and on the industry's success in world markets.