§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what have been the gross profits of United Kingdom companies, before depreciation and stock appreciation, for each year since 1960 as a percentage return on capital employed in, respectively, forestry and fishing, mining and quarrying, food, drink and tobacco, coal and petroleum products, chemicals and allied industries, metal manufacture, mechanical engineering; and if he will give comparable data from international sources regarding the same industries in the United States of America, Japan and each EEC country.
§ Sir G. HoweThe information available for the United Kingdom is given in the table below. Comparable data are not available for other countries.
United States of America, each EEC country, Japan, Sweden, Australia, Canada, and South Africa.
§ Sir G. HoweThe ratio of net income to net assets for the United Kingdom is 491W given in the table below. Comparable data are not available for other countries.
Net income after depreciation as a percentage of net assets Large companies in manufacturing industry 1950 22.4 1951 23.5 1952 18.2 1953 18.5 1954 19.1 1955 18.7 1956 17.1 1957 16.1 1958 14.7 1959 15.7 1960 15.7 1961 13.4 1962 12.1 1963 12.9 1964 14.2 1965 13.4 1966 11.8 1967 11.9 1968 13.7 1969 13.3 1970 12.1 1971 13.1 Source: Department of Trade and Industry analysis of the accounts of large industrial and commercial quoted companies operating mainly in the United Kingdom; the population of companies covered by this analysis was revised in 1960, 1964 and 1969.