HC Deb 05 March 2002 vol 381 cc149-50W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the earnings on the services account by engineering consultancies and the proportion of exports from the United Kingdom that are manufactured goods. [39527]

Mr. Wilson

[holding answer 4 March 2002]: Information on the overseas earnings of engineering consultancies is given in Table C8.2 of UK Trade in Services 2000 which was published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In 2000, the latest year for which figures are available, this industry earned £1,449 million from exports overseas, representing 2 per cent. of UK exports of services.

According to information published by ONS in the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, UK exports of manufactured goods in 2001 were worth £160.7 billion, representing 84 per cent. of exports of goods, or 60 per cent. of exports of goods and services, together.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the statement of the working group set up by the Hawley Review in the report "Universe of Engineering" on the research needed to estimate the number of people who practise engineering. [39532]

Mr. Wilson

[holding answer 4 March 2002]: The "Universe of Engineering" Report was produced by The Royal Academy of Engineering to assist The Hawley Group in its review of the Engineering Council and the needs of the wider engineering and technology community in the UK. The Report concluded that at least 2 million people are now employed in skilled engineering and technology jobs in this country, and that a new type of organisation, taking over from the Engineering Council, was required to support them.

The Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) has been established for this purpose and is now starting work with the full support of Government. The ETB's principal aims are:

  1. (1) Start the reversal of the downward trends in the supply of people (of all ages) with qualifications and skills relevant to engineering and technology based careers and jobs.
  2. (2) Achieve a marked notable shift in public attitudes towards, and understanding of, engineering and technology in today's economy.
  3. (3) Build effective and valued links with business and industry, reflecting its real-time and future needs.