§ Mr. Edgeasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the regional variations in the per capita productivity rate of people employed in manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieThe latest year for which this information can be provided is 1971, the analysis of the 1972 Census of Production being incomplete for a few census industries. It is estimated that in 1971 net output per person employed in manufacturing industry was as follows:
£ England: North 2,362 Yorkshire and Humberside 2,245 East Midlands 2,217 East Anglia 2,526 South East 2,919 South West 2,485 West Midlands 2,311 North West 2,500 Wales 2,552 Scotland 2,591 Northern Ireland 2,240 These figures should be interpreted with particular caution. Firstly, the basic regional estimates of net output cover only (statistically-separate) establishments with more than 80 per cent. of their employment in the region, and the percentage of manufacturing employees associated with the regionally allocated output varies inter-regionally between 63 and 92. The regionally allocated output has, for the purpose of providing the above estimates, been grossed up using these percentages. Secondly, even with a completely satisfactory measure of regional output, the regional net output figures would differ because of the differential regional composition of industry and the associated differences in labour-capital inputs.