§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the increase in output per head in manufacturing since the second quarter of 1979 at an annual rate and the corresponding figures for (a) the period from the first quarter of 1974 to the second quarter of 1979, (b) the two years ended in the fourth quarter of 1973 and (c) the six years ended in the second quarter of 1970.
§ Mr. MacGregorProduction in the second quarter of 1979 included some "catching up" of output lost during the road haulage dispute and severe weather of the first quarter while production in the first quarter of 1974 was disrupted by the three-day working week. The distortions so caused in the estimates requested can be removed by substituting the first half of 1979 for the second quarter and the fourth quarter of 1973 for the first quarter of 1974. On that basis the information is as follows:
Percentage change per annum in manufacturing industry Output per head Output per man-hour 1st half 1979–4th quarter 1982 + 1½ +2¼ 4th quarter 1973–1st half 1979 +1 +1¼ 4th quarter 1971–4th quarter 1973 +6½ +5½ 2nd quarter 1964–2nd quarter 1970 +3 * * Not available.