To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met representatives of the printing and publishing industries.
My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade lunched with the newspaper conference on 9 November 1992. Ministers and officials in the Department frequently meet representatives of the printing and publishing industries.
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the contribution of the publishing industry to the United Kingdom economy.
Printing and publishing make an important contribution to the United Kingdom economy, accounting for 1·8 per cent. of gross domestic product (GDP) and 8·1 per cent. of manufacturing industry's share of GDP. Figures for the publishing industry alone are not available.