§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the most recent estimate of the number of computer programmers required by the United Kingdom computer industry over the next five years.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 11 November 1980, c. 127]: The most recent estimate of which I am aware is that in a study carried out by the Institute of Manpower Studies on behalf of the electronic computer sector working party published earlier this year. It suggested that in 1979 the total stock of computer programmers was about 65,000 with a shortfall of some 12,500. The IMS predict that demand for computer programmers will increase substantially between now and 1985.