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Mr. Radice
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage increase in gross research and development expenditure in Britain in real terms since 1979; and what is the position of Britain in real terms compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
Mr. Butcher
The available information is given in the table.
| Increase in gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) adjusted for changes in prices: 1983 compared with 1978 or 1979 for some OECD member countries | |
| Percentage increase in GERD | |
| United Kingdom | 12·3 |
| Australia | 19·8 |
| Canada | 29·8 |
| Finland | 43·9 |
| France | 24·0 |
| Germany | 8·1 |
| Iceland | 14·0 |
| Ireland | 9·1 |
| Italy | 36·3 |
| Japan | 42·5 |
| Netherlands | 7·6 |
| Norway | 15·4 |
| Spain | 27·6 |
| Sweden | 38·4 |
| Switzerland | 0·4 |
| United States | 19·2 |
Source: OECD.
Note: Increases are over the four-year period 1979 to 1983, except for United Kingdom and Australia, the five-year period 1978 to 1983.