§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department calculates the number of people employed in defence and defence-related industries in the regions of the UK; what multiplier is used; and how many people are so employed in(a) each region of England and Wales and (b) Scotland. [146177]
§ Mr. SpellarDefence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) publish "UK Defence Statistics 2000", which contain estimates of UK regional employment directly resultant from the Ministry of Defence equipment expenditure. The method used to provide national and regional employment estimates requires the combination of two elements. First, a breakdown of MOD equipment expenditure with UK industry (using the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)) and second, a multiplier which measures sales per employee for each of the industries receiving defence spending (derived from the ONS Business Enquiry and the Labour Market Survey). Dividing the first by the second gives an estimate of those employed directly on defence contracts. The methodology does not therefore include indirect employment.
The provisional figures for the number of people employed by defence industries in 1998–99 are listed in the DASA publication, "UK Defence Statistics 2000", a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library.
Statistics of this type are updated on a regular basis and posted on the DASA website: http://www.dasa.mod.uk/products/ukds/2000/index.html.