§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are employed in(a) Northern Ireland, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in the manufacture of tobacco products; what percentage of the total working population that represents in each of these areas; what is the tax revenue for their products in each country; and what percentage of the total of tobacco producers is produced in each of the four constituent areas of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. NichollsInformation about employment in the tobacco industry by country is available only from the census of employment. The most recent figures are for September 1987. Due to confidentiality restrictions only figures for Northern Ireland and Great Britain can be given. These are as follows:
Employees in employment1 in the tobacco industry2 at September 1987 Number (thousands) Percentage3 Northern Ireland 2.1 0.4 Great Britain 15.0 0.1 1 Excludes the self-employed. 2 Activity Heading 4290 of the Standard Industrial Classification 1980. 3 Percentage of all employees in employment. Information relating to taxation on tobacco products and tobacco products sales is not available on a regional basis. The United Kingdom figure for tax on tobacco products, including imports, is estimated at £5,800 million for the financial year 1987–88. United Kingdom home-produced tobacco product sales amounted to £6,423 million in 1987.