§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the conclusions of his report, "UK Competitiveness Indicators 1999", on(a) working hours and (b) per capita national income in the UK, in relation to that in other G7 countries. [106530]
§ Mr. ByersThe analysis underlying "UK competitiveness Indicators 1999" showed that, on average, we work more hours than our main European competitors and yet we achieve a lower national income per head. The analysis showed that, in comparison to France and Germany, both the proportion of population in employment in the UK and the number of hours worked per person employed are relatively high. Despite this, poor productivity means that GDP per head is some 18 per cent. below the average for the G7. The factors underlying this are assessed in "UK Competitiveness Indicators 1999". Closing the gap will require improvements in several areas, including innovation performance, management and work force skills, and entrepreneurship.