§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for footwear, clothing and the principal divisions of the textile industry the ratio of imports to home demand in 1975 and at the latest available date for the EEC and non-EEC countries, together with the relevant import figures.
§ Mr. ChannonThe information is given in the table:
§ Mr. ChannonInternational competitiveness depends on many factors such as productivity, labour costs, the price of raw materials, profit margins and exchange rate movements, as well as such non-price elements as delivery 391W performance and after-sales service. All of these are important in determining the extent to which British producers can compete in world markets.
§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in the Official Report the most recent figures for relative rates of productivity in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
§ Mr. ChannonThe information is as follows:
Changes in output per manhour in manufacturing industry in selected OECD countries Change between 1980 and 1983 1983 and January–September 1984 per cent. per cent. United Kingdom +17 +3 United States of America +10 +4 Canada +6 +10 France +14 +6 Federal Republic of Germany +8 +3 Italy +8 +5 Japan +20 +7 Source: IMF.