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Chapter III. Industrial Production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2020

Extract

The recovery of industrial activity in the UK from its trough in 1981 stopped early this year. The rise, as recorded by the index of production industries, was considerable: about 8 per cent from the first quarter of 1981—its lowest point—to the first quarter of this year. It was then followed by a fall of almost 2½ per cent to the second quarter and a further marginal decline in the summer. At present there is little indication of any immediate major recovery, though according to our forecast output of the production industries is likely to turn up next year.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 National Institute of Economic and Social Research

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References

page 41 note (1) For competitiveness indicators, see table 14 in the statistical appendix.

page 41 note (2) Estimates indicate that in the four years to 1983 there has been a net increase of nearly 120,000 in the number of businesses registered for VAT; the number of those engaged in production is about 15,000; over 30,000 are in construction and building, some 5,000 in agriculture and the rest of about 70,000 in various types of services.

page 41 note (3) Among those mentioned in our survey were: machinists for new-type machine tools; electronics engineers; skilled program mers and computer operators; CAD/CAM operators; ‘automation’ production engineers; systems designers and engineers; wiremen; testing and inspection personnel; supervisory and first- line management staff in various branches of engineering; com puter typesetters, programmers and operators of ‘new’ technology in printing.

page 41 note (4) Such as, for example, sewing machinists in the footwear indus try and various skilled craftsmen in the finer segments of the pottery industry.

page 42 note (1) See the note on pp. 62-67 of this issue.

page 42 note (2) Computers in production control, NEDO, 1984.

page 42 note (3) Flexible machining systems, NEDO, 1984. Such a system may comprise all or some of the following: computer numerical control on machine tools, workpiece and tool-handling, adaptive machining control inspection and all-round control systems.

page 42 note (4) Apart from US and Japanese manufacturers, the major Euro pean suppliers in 1983 (in this order) were Philips (Netherlands), Siemens (Germany), SGS-Ates (Italy) and Thomson (France), Financial Times, 14 September 1984.

page 45 note (1) The National Health Service accounts for about 80 per cent of the UK domestic market for pharmaceuticals.

page 46 note (1) See G. F. Ray, The diffusion of mature technologies, Cambridge University Press, 1984, p. 68.

page 46 note (2) Ibid., p. 41.

page 48 note (1) Packaging is not an homogeneous and registered industry. Estimates indicate that (by value) the packaging market in 1983 was divided as follows: paper and board 34 per cent, metals (including aerosols) 30 per cent, plastics 20 per cent. glass 15 per cent, other 1 per cent.