HC Deb 22 March 1994 vol 240 cc205-6W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) by what percentage output of worsted yarn changed between 1987 and 1992 in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) France and (d) Italy; if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of worsted yarn in 1970, 1979, 1987 and 1992, together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to reach the 1987 level;

(2) what was the percentage change in the level of output of cotton cloth between 1988 and 1992 in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy; if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of cotton cloth in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992, together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to reach the 1988 level;

(3) what was the United Kingdom output of tufted carpets between 1988 and 1992 and the corresponding figure for Germany, France and Italy; if he will list United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of tufted carpets in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992 together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to equal the 1988 level;

(4) what was the United Kingdom output of weatherproof outerwear in each year since 1988 and the corresponding figure for Germany, France and Italy; if he will list United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of waterproof outerwear in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992 together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to equal the 1988 level;

(5) what were the percentage changes in the output of footwear between 1987 and 1991 in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy; if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of footwear in 1970, 1979, 1987 and 1992, together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to reach the 1987 level;

(6) what was the United Kingdom output of woven carpets with yarn containing 50 per cent. or more by weight of wool between 1989 and 1992; what were the corresponding figures for Germany, France and Italy; if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of such carpets in 1970, 1979, 1989 and 1992 together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to reach the 1989 level;

(7) what was the percentage change in the output of worsted cloth between 1987 and 1992 in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) France and (d) Italy; if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of worsted cloth in 1970, 1979, 1987 and 1992, together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to reach the 1987 level;

(8) what was the United Kingdom output of clothing, hats and gloves in each year since 1988; what were the corresponding figures for Germany, France and Italy; if he will list United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of clothing, hats and gloves in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992 together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to equal the 1988 level;

(9) what was the change in United Kingdom output of men's and boys' tailored outerwear between 1988 and 1992 with the corresponding figure for Germany, France and Italy; if he will list United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of such outerwear in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992 together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom' output to equal the 1988 level;

(10) by how much output of cotton yarn other than waste yarn changed between 1988 and 1992 for the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy; if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of cotton yarn in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992, together with the numbers employed in the United Kingdom industry; and when he expects United Kingdom output to reach 1988 levels;

(11) what was the change in United Kingdom output of textiles between 1988 and 1992 with the corresponding figure for Germany, France and Italy; if he will list United Kingdom production, imports, exports and consumption of textile yarn in 1970, 1979, 1988 and 1992 together with the numbers employed; and when he expects United Kingdom output to equal the 1988 level;

(12) if he will make a statement on the scale of the output of wool cloth in the United Kingdom compared with the corresponding figures for Italy and France in 1993; and if he will publish a table showing the corresponding percentages for 1973 and 1979 together with, for each of the three years (i) production imports, exports and consumption of wool cloth by each of the three countries and (ii) United Kingdom imports from and exports of wool cloth to each of the other three countries.

Mr. Needham

The available information may be found in the "Annual Abstract of Statistics", the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", publications in the Business Monitors series, theEmployment Gazette, the United Nations "Industrial Statistics Yearbook" and "Monthly Bulletin of Statistics", and the "Textiles Bulletin". Data are also available from the Central Statistical Office's central shared database, and from Eurostat's CRONOS database. All of the above data sources are in the Library of the House.