§ Mr. Lawsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage increase in national productivity, defined as output per person employed over the economy as a whole between 1973 and 1977, and for each of the five four-year 622W periods: 1969 to 1973, 1965 to 1969, 1961 to 1965, 1957 to 1961 and 1953 to 1957.
§ Mr. Denzil Davies,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 6th March 1978], gave the following answer:
Between 1973 and 1977, gross domestic product—based on output data—fell by around ½ per cent. Although comprehensive employment data are not yet available for 1977 as a whole, it is estimated that output per person employed will have changed little over this period. The percentage changes in output per person employed for the whole economy over the required four-year periods are as follows:
CHANGE IN OUTPUT PER PERSON EMPLOYED WHOLE ECONOMY Percentages 1953–57 … … … +7.1 1957–61 … … … +9.3 1961–65 … … … +10.7 1965–69 … … … +11.8 1969–73 … … … +11.5 Source:
1953–61 Economic Trends October 1968
1961–73 Economic Trends Annual Supplement 1977.