§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing information available to him in index form of the latest figures for(a) 527W output, (b) output per hour and (c) unit labour costs in Japan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the European Community as a whole.
§ Mr. HeseltineInformation on the latest figures, in index form, for output of the United States, United Kingdom and EC is regularly published in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's "Main Economic Indicators", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Corresponding information for the whole economy on output per hour and unit labour costs is not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 15 June,Official Report, column 603, what was the average increase in output per head in manufacturing in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany and Japan from 1979 to 1989 and from 1989 to the latest available date; by how much United Kingdom unit labour costs in manufacturing fell relative to those of the other three countries in each period as a result of the increase in output per head; by how much the exchange rate would have to change to offset the differences in the rate of change in the unit labour costs in United Kingdom manufacturing in each period as a result of the change in productivity; and what equivalent information he holds on (a) France, (b) Italy and (c) other EC countries on average.
§ Mr. HeseltineInformation on changes in output per head in manufacturing is given in the table. Figures for the EC as a whole are not available on a comparable basis.
Information on the United Kingdom's relative unit labour costs in manufacturing is published regularly in Central Statistical Office's "Economic Trends", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Percentage/per annum 1979–89 1989–93 United Kingdom 4.0 2.9 USA 3.6 3.2 Germany 2.0 -1.4 France 2.5 0.3 Italy 3.4 -1.3 Japan 3.4 -2.5 Sources: OECD, CSO.