Manufacturing: Stop Holding It Back Mr. Brown

10.17.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Oct 2003

Commenting on this morning's Index of Production, showing that manufacturing output fell in August, Matthew Taylor MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, said: "People want to know that their jobs are secure in uncertain times. Any hope that manufacturing was beating its recession has been undermined by today's figures."

"With the loss of ½ a million jobs since Labour came to power, there is little confidence among workers that this Government is getting it right for manufacturing."

"There is no point just hoping things will get better, as Gordon Brown seems to do. We need to set business free."

"Gordon Brown must stop holding industry back with his tax complications and red tape. We need a concerted drive to get rid of the Whitehall bureaucracy that is holding industry back."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Manufacturing output fell in August from 95.7 to 95.1, compared to a level of 100 in 2000.