§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the reduction in the index of production for manufacturing industry since May 1979; and how this compares with the corresponding figures for other industrial countries.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
The latest estimate of the United Kingdom index of industrial production for manufacturing relates to September 1980. Comparable figures are available for the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan and the United States of America. The table below shows the comparison requested:
Change from second quarter 1979 to third quarter 1980 in indexed numbers of production for manufacturing (seasonally adjusted) Per cent. United Kingdom -14 Federal Republic of Germany -2 Japan *+7 United States of America -9 *Including mining. Sources: CSO, OECD, Deutsche Bundesbank.