HC Deb 25 June 1980 vol 987 cc206-9W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will circulate a table in the Official Report showing the increase in output, employment and output per head as a percentage of the 1967 figure for each year since 1967 and for the first quarter of 1980 in the case of the headings covered in table 7.2 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics and also for the gross domestic product less the production industries.

Mr. Biffen

Index numbers of output, employment and output per head are published regularly on the basis 1975 = 100 and readily yield any year to year comparisons that users may wish to make. Figures for years prior to those appearing in current publications are made available by the Central Statistical Office on request and I am sending the data to the hon. Member.

The series for gross domestic product less the production industries, which are not published regularly, are given below

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT LESS PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES
1975 = 100
Output Employment Output per head
1967 83.6 92.4 90.5
1968 85.6 92.5 92.5
1969 86.8 92.5 93.8
1970 89.4 93.0 96.1
1971 91.9 92.3 99.5
1972 95.5 95.1 100.4
1973 99.6 97.6 102.0
1974 99.4 98.3 101.1
1975 100.0 100.0 100.0
1976 101.8 100.8 101.0
1977 103.4 101.3 102.1
1978 106.2 102.2 103.9
1979 107.3 103.3 103.9
1980—
1st quarter 108.1 N.A. N.A.
N.A.—Not available.

Sources: Central Statistical Office, Department of Employment.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will circulate a table in the Official Report showing the increase in output, employment and output per head for (a) gas, electricity and water, (b) manufacturing,

1979—percentage change in activity since:
1969 1959 1949*
(a) Gas, electricity and water
output 44 149 314
employment † -13 -8 4
output per employee 66 109 299
(b) Manufacturing
output 7 53 107
employment † -14 -11 -2
output per employee 25 73 112
(c) Whole economy less production industries
output 24 60 93
employment † 14 27 35
output per employee 8 26 43
(d) Engineering
output 16 92 195
employment † -13 3 28
output per employee 34 87 130
(e) Textiles
output -11 18 19
employment † -32 -43 -50
output per employee 32 107 141
* 1949 data are based on the 1948 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC); 1959, 1969 and 1979 are based on the SIC for 1968. Thus movements from 1949 to 1979 are subject to some discontinuities
† Employment is calculated from mid year estimates for all employees in employment within the United Kingdom; self-employed are excluded.

Sources:

Output: Central Statistical Office

Employment: Department of Employment British Labour Statistics,

Department of Employment Gazette

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing the increase in output, employ

on a basis compatible with published series (1975 = 100).

(c) whole economy less production industries, (d) engineering and (e) textiles in 1979 as a percentage of 1969, 1959 and 1949.

Mr. Biffen

Such data as are available are given in the table below.

ment and output per head for (a) air transport, (b) road passenger transport, (c) other road transport, (d) coal mining, (e) railways, (f) ports, (g) handling air traffic, (h) shipbuilding, (i) aerospace and (j) steel, in the year 1979 as a percentage of 1969, 1959 and 1949.

1979—percentage change in activity since:
1969 1959 1949*
a-c, e-g) Transport †
output 21 57 96
employment ‡ -8 -20 -26
output per employee 32 97 166
(d) Coal mining
output -32 -54 -57
employment ‡ -25 -62 -64
output per employee -10 21 20
(h) Shipbuilding
output -22 -29 -27
employment ‡ -10 -39 -45
output per employee -27 17 33
(i) Aerospace §
output -15 -31 n.a.
employment ‡ -18 -30 n.a.
output per employee 4 1 n.a.
(j) Ferrous metals ║
output -22 -3 21
employment ‡ -24 -26 -24
output per employee 3 30 59
* 1949 data are based on the 1948 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC); 1959, 1969 and 1979 are based on the SIC for 1968. Thus movements from 1949 to 1979 are subject to some discontinuities.
† Meaningful comparisons of output and employment can only be made for the transport group as an aggregate.
‡ Employment is calculated from the mid-year estimates of all employees in employment within the United Kingdom; self-employed are excluded.
§ Aerospace figures are not available for 1949 on a consistent basis.
║ The ferrous metals industry comprises iron and steel; the steel industry can not be separately dentified.

Sources:

Output: Central Statistical Office.

Employment: Department of Employment, British Labour Statistics,

Department of Employment Gazette.