HC Deb 15 February 1971 vol 811 cc352-3W
Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total value of the turnover of industry and commerce in the United Kingdom; and what proportion thereof is contributed by publicly owned enterprises.

Mr. Higgins

Figures of total turnover are not available. However, estimates of total output in 1968 are given in the provisional input-output tables for that year published in the January, 1971, issue of Economic Trends. From thees it is estimated that the total output of industry and commerce was about £60,000 million, of which about 12 per cent. was accounted for by publicly owned enterprises.

Total turnover, which includes a great deal of duplication as goods pass through the distribution system, would have been over 50 per cent. higher, with a corresponding fall to 8 per cent. or less in the proportion attributable to publicly owned enterprises since only a small part of the output of publicly owned enterprises passes through the distributive trades.