HC Deb 23 July 1990 vol 177 cc42-3W
Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing the share of gross domestic product contributed by manufacturing engineering in the Group of Seven countries in 1979 and in the latest available year.

Mr. Redwood

[holding answer 20 July 1990]: The information is in the table.

Manufacturing engineering3 as a percentage of gross domestic product in the Group of Seven countries
1979 1987
Canada 5.9 15.7
France 9.7 8.2
Germany 14.6 215.0
Italy 10.3 8.4
Japan 11.1 12.1
United Kingdom 12.5 9.6
United States of America 9.9 8.1

1 Latest year 1985.

2 Latest year 1986.

3 Manufacturing engineering for the Group of Seven (except the United Kingdom) is defined in the table according to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) division 38 (covering manufacture of fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment). For the United Kingdom the definition of manufacturing engineering used is the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) section 3 (covering metal goods, engineering and vehicle industries). The percentages shown are based on current market prices, with the exception of the United Kingdom where factor costs are used.

Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage change has taken place in real terms in the value of United Kingdom exports of mechanical engineering and metal goods between 1979 and 1989.

Mr. Redwood

[holding answer 20 July 1990]: The relevant classifications in this area are mechanical machinery—standard international trade classification 71–74 less 716—and metal manufactures—SITC 69. Between 1979 and 1989 export volumes for these sectors rose by 15 and 2 per cent. respectively in real terms.

Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the future trends in United Kingdom exports of mechanical and metal engineering products.

Mr. Redwood

[holding answer 20 July 1990]: The Department does not publish any forecasts of this sort. A number of private sector organisations compile sectoral forecasts which are available on a commercial basis.

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