HC Deb 12 July 1982 vol 27 cc255-6W
30. Mr. Dixon

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the estimated loss of production as a result of the latest level of unemployment.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

Reduced output and higher unemployment are inevitable in a world recession but the lack of competitiveness of British industry is also a serious cause of lost production. The years of low productivity growth and excessive wage settlements have made our goods more expensive than our competitors'. The way to get more jobs is to produce more competitively and so win a bigger market share.