§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the cost of the three-day week for each week since 1st January; how this is broken down for each week in terms of lost production, exports, investment and reduced incomes; and how this reduction in incomes has been distributed in terms of occupations and income levels.
§ Sir G. HoweStatistics are not yet available from which conclusions could be drawn about the loss of production, exports, investment and incomes resulting from three-day working. When they become available they will not, however, indicate the weekly pattern. Information that is now available to the Department420W suggests that manufacturing output in January may have been reduced by some 20–25 per cent. below normal working level.