HC Deb 01 April 2004 vol 419 cc1688-9W
Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs there were in the manufacturing sector in Wales in each year since 1997; and what manufacturing sector output was as a proportion of GDP in Wales in each year since 1997. [151759]

Ruth Kelly

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Bill Wiggin, dated 1 April 2004: As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about manufacturing jobs and output in Wales. (151759) The Annual Business Inquiry provides information on jobs in Wales by industry. Table 1 shows the number of employees in manufacturing businesses in Wales from December 1997 to December 2002. Table 2 shows the proportion of manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA) to total GVA for Wales. The estimates are based on the regional GVA estimates published in August 2003. These are available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7359 Under the European System of Accounts 95 (ES A95) the economic estimates that are defined as Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices are broadly equivalent to what has been historically known as GDP at factor cost. The Office for National Statistic has effected the change from GDP at factor cost to GVA at basic prices as part of implementation of ESA 95, along with all other EU countries. GVA at basic prices includes the effects of taxes less subsidies on production, but excludes taxes and subsidies on products, which are included in GDP at market prices under ESA95.

Table 1: Manufacturing employee jobs in Wales, 1997–2002
Year Number of employee jobs (thousand)
1997 215
1998 208
1999 207
2000 201
2001 189
2002 185

Source: Annual Business Inquiry, Annual Employment Survey

Table 2: Manufacturing Gross Value Added1 as a proportion of total GVA of Wales
Year Manufacturing GVA of Wales (£ million) Total GVA of Wales (£ million) Manufacturing as a proportion of total GVA of Wales (%)
1997 8,007 28,942 28
1998 7,941 29,718 27
1999 7.775 30,652 25
2000 7,826 31,864 25
1 GVA at current basic prices, excluding Extra-Regio. Extra Regio is that part of the UK's economic territory which cannot be allocated to any specific region. The contribution to UK GVA of UK embassies abroad and UK forces stationed overseas is included in Extra-Regio, along with the element of GVA relating to activities taking place on the continental shelf.