HL Deb 10 December 1985 vol 469 c198WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their estimate of the value to the economy, in the same terms as those used to calculate the national gross domestic product, of the work done by women and men other than in the course of paid or self-employment.

Lord Young of Graffham

The work done by women and men other than in the course of paid or self-employment has a very important role in our economy and society, but unfortunately it is not possible to value it in the same terms as those used to calculate the gross domestic product. This is because the national accounts are expressed in money terms, and confined to those goods and services which are exchanged for money, or whose monetary values can easily be imputed. Any attempt to impute the value of unpaid work would necessarily be highly arbitrary.