Letter: Need for a stronger manufacturing sector in the UK

Sir: Hamish McRae poses the question: 'Manufacturing, who needs it anyway?' The quick answer is he does himself, because half of all consumer purchases are manufactured goods. Furthermore, if these goods were all purchased from abroad, about four million jobs would disappear from the inter-

dependent service sector.

If we lost our manufacturing base we would lose the control of our destiny, unemployment would rise and all sectors that benefit from manufacturing industries - from financial services to universities - would be decimated (even the Independent would suffer).

Yours faithfully,

MARK RADCLIFFE

National Manufacturing Council

Confederaton of British

Industry

London, WC1

18 November