§ 105. Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the level of usage of robots in British industry; and what equivalent information he has about other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
§ 107. Mr. CousinsTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the level of usage of robots in British industry; and what equivalent information he has for other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
§ Mr. ButcherRobots in use in British industry numbered 4,303 at the end of 1987. This shows a total increase of 14.5 per cent. and an increased growth rate of 30 per cent. on the previous year's figures.
The table shows the level of usage of robots in the OECD countries in 1986. The figures are produced by the International Federation of Robotics.
Country Robots in use in 1986 Australia 800 Austria 250 Belgium 1,050 Denmark 210 Finland 336 Germany 12,400 France 5,273 Italy 5,000 Japan 118,000 Netherlands 630 New Zealand 42 Norway 396 Spain 854 Sweden 2,383 Switzerland 382 United Kingdom 3,683 United States of America 25,000 Canada 11,753 1 at the end 1983. Source: AFRI.
No figures are available for the following OECD countries:
Greece Luxembourg Iceland Portugal Ireland Turkey