§ Lord Brockwayasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have noted the conclusions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that the income per head in Britain is 81 per cent. of that in West Germany compared with 85.6 in 1978 and 84.5 per cent. that of France, and whether they will reverse their monetarist policy.
§ Lord CockfieldThis situation is not new. It has developed over a long period of time. Income per head depends on productivity and the economy's flexibility and competitiveness. The Government's policies are designed to improve the performance of the economy and are doing so. Both manufacturing productivity and cost competitiveness improved by some 10 per cent. during 1981.