HL Deb 25 May 1976 vol 371 cc256-7WA
Lord O'HAGAN

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the annual increase in labour productivity in British agriculture since 1960: and how this compares with other Member States of the EEC.

Lord STRABOLGI

The latest estimates indicate an average annual rate of increase in United Kingdom labour productivity (the volume of gross product per head) of about 4½, per cent. for the period 1964–65 to 1975–76. I regret that information on a consistent basis is not available before 1964–65. Annual indices of labour productivity are given in table 19 of the 1976 Annual Review White Paper (Cmnd. 6392), laid before Parliament on 8th March. Some measures of changes in labour productivity for the Member States of the EEC in the period 1968 to 1971 are given on page 16 of Volume 111 of the EEC mission's 1975 report on Agricultural Situation in the Communitych is available in the Library of the House. This information is not, however, on the same basis as the United Kingdom data and exact comparisons cannot be made.