§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if, pursuant to his answer of 21 January, Official Report, column 278, he will provide a breakdown, by each sector of the information technology industry, namely, office machinery, electronic data processing equipment, telecommunications equipment, radio and electronic capital goods, electronic components and subassemblies and electronic consumer goods, of the balance of trade for each year since 1979;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers employed in each sector of the information technology industry, namely, office machinery, electronic data processing equipment, telecommunications equipment, radio and electronic capital goods, electronic components and sub-assemblies and electronic consumer goods, for each year from 1979 to 1984.
§ Mr. ButcherI will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the average growth rates of the information technology industry in Germany, France, Japan, the United States of America and the United Kingdom between 1979 and 1984;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report (a) the world market share and (b) the European market share of the whole information technology industry in office machinery, electronic data processing equipment, telecommunications equipment, radio and electronic capital goods, electronic components and sub-assemblies and electronic consumer goods, for each year from 1979 to 1984.
§ Mr. Butcher[pursuant to the reply, 11 March 1985, c. 23]: The available information on market shares is in the table. The United Kingdom average annual growth rate in this industry between 1979 and 1984 was 15 per cent. at current prices (8 per cent. at constant prices); comparable information for other countries is not readily available.
346W
Information Technology Equipment* United Kingdom Share of OECD Exports to: World Western Europe 1979 8.5 12.0 1980 8.4 12.2
World Western Europe 1981 6.7 10.0 1982 7.1 11.2 1983 6.6 11.7 1984 — — * Taken as SITC divisions 75 and 76 plus headings 776 and 7722. Source: OECD.