§ 32. Mr. Favellasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by how much productivity has increased in each nationalised industry for which he is responsible within the manufacturing sector since the end of 1980.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe industries in question are the British Steel Corporation and British Shipbuilders. In the British Steel Corporation, productivity has improved from 14.5 man-hours per tonne of liquid steel in 1980–81 to the current level of 6.9 man-hours per tonne in the third quarter of 1984. In the case of British Shipbuilders, productivity is difficult to measure, but there are indications that, after a period of low work load and correspondingly low productivity, it is now improving.