HC Deb 23 March 1989 vol 149 cc710-1W
Mr. Gould

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a table in theOfficial Report showing for each quarter since the first quarter of 1979 (a) British manufacturing investment as a proportion of GDP expressed as a percentage of the G7 average; (b) British spending on civil research and development as a proportion of gross domestic product expressed as a percentage of the G7 average, (c) British manufacturing output per head as a percentage of the G7 average and (d) Britain's share of world trade as a percentage of the G7 share of world trade.

Mr. Atkins

Differences in definitions between countries and problems with different currencies make it inappropriate to express the United Kingdom data as a percentage of the G7 average. Much of the information is not available on a quarterly basis. The available annual information for each of the G7 countries is given in the following tables:

Manufacturing investment as a proportion of GDP—Percentage
United Kingdom France FR Germany Italy USA Japan Canada
1979 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.1 2.7 3.4 2.6
1980 3.2 3.5 4.0 3.3 2.8 3.9 3.1
1981 2.5 3.3 3.9 3.0 2.7 4.0 3.5
1982 2.4 3.0 3.5 2.5 2.5 3.8 3.0
1983 2.3 2.9 3.5 2.1 1.9 3.6 2.1
1984 2.6 2.9 3.4 2.3 2.1 4.0 1.9
1985 2.9 3.0 3.8 n.a. 2.1 4.1 n.a.
1986 1.6 3.0 n.a. n.a. 1.9 3.7 n.a.
1987 2.7 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

n.a. = Not available.

Note: Based on current price data.

Sources: OECD National Accounts, OECD Economic Survey of Japan.

Percentage shares of world trade in manufactures—value
United Kingdom France FR Germany Italy USA Japan Canada
1979 9.1 10.5 20.9 8.4 16.0 13.7 4.2
1980 9.7 10.0 19.9 7.9 17.0 14.9 4.0
1981 8.5 9.2 18.4 7.7 18.6 17.9 4.6
1982 8.4 9.0 19.7 7.9 17.6 17.3 4.9
1983 7.9 8.9 19.0 8.1 16.9 18.5 5.5
1984 7.6 8.5 18.1 7.7 17.2 20.1 6.3
1985 7.9 8.5 18.7 7.8 16.7 19.7 6.3
1986 7.6 8.8 20.7 8.2 14.0 19.4 5.4
1987 8.1 9.0 21.5 8.4 13.7 18.1 4.9

Source: Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.