asked the Prime Minister what has been the trend in total expenditure on research and development in the 1980s and in the 1970s, and as expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product; what it represents as a percentage of gross domestic product; and how this compares with the expenditure in other European and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
The information requested for the United Kingdom is available only for years in which a survey of industrial research and development expenditure on science and technology is undertaken and is shown in the following tables.
| Research and Development in Science and Technology, performed in all sectors of United Kingdom Economy | ||||
| Gross Expenditure on R & D at 1975 prices £ million | R & D as a percentage of gdp | |||
| 1972 | 2,242 | 2·07 | ||
| 1975 | 2,151 | 2·06 | ||
| 1978 | 2,365 | 2·14 | ||
| 1981 | 2,603 | 2·34 | ||
| 1983* | 2,486 | 2·19 | ||
| * To be published in the August edition of Economic Trends. | ||||
Source: Department of Trade and Industry.
Research and Development in Science and Technology, Social Science and Humanities in 1981 for OECD Member Countries
| ||
Gross Expenditure on R & D £ million
| Gross R & D as percentage of gdp
| |
| Australia | 913 | 1·03 |
| Austria | 436 | 1·16 |
| Canada | 1,848 | 1·22 |
| Denmark | 293 | 1·07 |
| Finland | 323 | 1·22 |
| France | 5,847 | 2·01 |
| West Germany | 8,558 | 2·49 |
| Greece | 56 | 0·21 |
| Iceland | 10 | 0·75 |
| Ireland | 85 | 0·79 |
| Italy | 2,482 | 1·01 |
| Japan | 14,636 | 2·38 |
| Netherlands | 1,364 | 1·88 |
| Norway | 338 | 1·28 |
| Spain | 512 | 0·39 |
| Sweden* | 1,203 | 2·23 |
| Switzerland | 967 | 2·29 |
| United Kingdom† | 6,215 | 2·46 |
| United States | 39,785 | 2·52 |
| Yugoslavia | 277 | 0·76 |
* Research and Development in science and technology only. | ||
| † Includes OECD estimate of Research and Development in social science and humanities outside government and universities. | ||
Source: OECD, using rates of exchange at purchasing power parities.