Foundries (Hansard, 13 June 2003)

§ Syd Rapson
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed in the UK foundry sector; and if she will make a statement on the contribution of the foundry sector to domestic GDP. [118811]

§ Alan Johnson
The latest available official data is for 2001 which gives employment in the foundry sector in December of that year as 29,000¹. The contribution of the foundry industry to GDP in 2001 was 0.1 per cent. (provisional)².
These figures relate to businesses classified by the ONS to SIC code 27.5 "casting of metals". They omit casting activities by in-house foundries which belong to a parent company whose main business is other than casting.
Source:
¹ONS Annual Business Inquiry
²ONS Annual Business Inquiry, National Accounts Blue Book, and Input/Output tables.

§ Syd Rapson
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs have been lost in the foundry sector in the past(a) year, (b) five years and (c) 10 years. [118812]

§ Alan Johnson
Data on employment in the foundry industry since 1993 are as shown in the table. Figures are not available for the past year.

Number

1993 38,000

1994 38,000

1995 38,000

1996 38,000

1997 38,000

1998 35,000

1999 33,000

2000 32,000

2001 29,000

Note:

Approximate net change over the past 10 years:-9,000

Approximate change from 1998–2001: -6,000

Source:

1993–1997: Annual Census of Production

1999–2001: Annual Business Survey

§ Syd Rapson
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many foundries have ceased trading in the past(a) year, (b) five years and (c) 10 years. [118813]

§ Alan Johnson
Data are available for the net change in numbers of foundries, not for the numbers that have ceased trading. Information is available for 1996 to 2002, as follows.
1107W

SIC 27. 51
Casting of iron
SIC 27. 52
Casting of steel
SIC 27.53 Casting
of light metals
SIC 27.54 Casting
of other non-ferrous
metals
Total SIC 27.5
Casting of Metals

Approximate Change²

1996–2002 -75 +15 +30 -65 -95

1998–2002 -55 +15 +35 -40 -45

¹Local units (that is, individual sites). All figures are rounded to nearest 5.

²All changes are approximate because they are calculated from rounded data.

Source:

National Statistics, Size Analysis of United Kingdom Businesses, based on Interdepartmental Business Register

	Number
1993	38,000
1994	38,000
1995	38,000
1996	38,000
1997	38,000
1998	35,000
1999	33,000
2000	32,000
2001	29,000
Note:
Approximate net change over the past 10 years:-9,000
Approximate change from 1998–2001: -6,000
Source:
1993–1997: Annual Census of Production
1999–2001: Annual Business Survey

	SIC 27. 51 Casting of iron	SIC 27. 52 Casting of steel	SIC 27.53 Casting of light metals	SIC 27.54 Casting of other non-ferrous metals	Total SIC 27.5 Casting of Metals
Approximate Change²
1996–2002	-75	+15	+30	-65	-95
1998–2002	-55	+15	+35	-40	-45
¹Local units (that is, individual sites). All figures are rounded to nearest 5.
²All changes are approximate because they are calculated from rounded data.
Source:
National Statistics, Size Analysis of United Kingdom Businesses, based on Interdepartmental Business Register