HC Deb 27 July 1979 vol 971 cc717-8W
Mr. Leighton

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the growth of output per head in agriculture and in the principal sections of the industry for each year from 1945, stated in the form of an index.

Mr. Peter Walker

I regret that estimates of output per head are not available. However, estimated indices of United Kingdom labour productivity, defined as gross product at constant prices per person engaged, have been calculated for agriculture as a whole since 1954. The growth in labour productivity each year has been as follows:

Change in index of labour productivity over previous year
Calendar year Based on 1954–1956=100
per cent.
1955 +1.0
1956 +9.5
1957 +3.4
1958 +0.5
1959 +5.3
1960 +9.6
1961 +4.8
1962 +6.6
1963 +6.0
1964 +8.6
1965 +8.5
1966 +3.3
1967 +8.4
1968 +5.8

Based on 1975=100
per cent.
1969 +5.2
1970 +4.2
1971 +14.6
1972 +0.6
1973 +1.7
1974 +5.0
1975 -6.7
1976 -8.8
1977 +23.5
1978 (forecast) +4.3

Note: Because of changes in the coverage of the basic data, not all the figures are strictly comparable.

No information is available by sectors of the industry.