HC Deb 09 January 1990 vol 164 cc596-7W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will provide an estimate of the increase in the volume of output of the electrical engineering industry since(a) 1973 and (b) 1979 less defence-related production.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

It is not practicable to exclude defence-related goods from the output data available. The output of the electrical and electronic engineering sector (Class 34 of the Standard Industrial Classification—not stock adjusted), was 32 per cent. higher in the three months to October 1989 than the average for 1973, and 31 per cent. higher than the average for 1979.