§ Mr. Knoxasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what proportion of capacity the United Kingdom economy now operates; and, from information available from international sources, how this compares with the figures for other members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
§ Mr. Peter ReesThere are no official estimates of capacity utilisation for the United Kingdom. However, the Confederation of British Industry's industrial trends survey provides quarterly estimates of the proportion of firms in manufacturing industry operating at full capacity. These estimates, together with similar figures derived from business surveys in most other member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), are given quarterly in table E, section two, of "Indicators of Industrial Activity," published by OECD. The most recent data are published by OECD in the country tables of "Main Economic Indicators." Copies of both publications are available in the Library of the House.