HC Deb 18 March 1986 vol 94 cc177-8W
60. Mr. Gerald Howarth

asked the Paymaster General what are the employment trends in manufacturing industry.

Mr. Lang

In the last two years the number of employees employed in manufacturing has reduced at an average rate of 13,000 a quarter, a much slower reduction than in previous years.

69. Mr. Allen McKay

asked the Paymaster General when he will next seek to meet the Trades Union Congress to discuss employment prospects in the manufacturing industry.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

I am always prepared to discuss matters of mutual interest with the Trades Union Congress, but I have no plans for a meeting on this specific subject in the near future.

Our policies have created the climate which has led to strong growth in manufacturing output, investment and exports. The decline in manufacturing employment, which has been experienced by all major industrialised nations, has eased considerably in this country since 1983.

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