Навигация
The Modern British Economy
79846
знаков
0
таблиц
0
изображений
5. The Modern British Economy
From 1981 to 1989 the British economy experienced eight years of sustained growth at the annual average rate over 3%. However, subsequently Britain and other major industrialized nations were severely affected by recession. In Britain growth slowed to 0.6% in 1990, and in 1991 gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 2.3%. GDP fell in 1992 as a whole by 0.4%, but it rose slightly in the second half of the year. The recovery strengthened during the first part of 1993; with GDP in the second quarter being 2% higher than a year earlier; the European Commission expected Britain to be the fastest growing of all major European economies in 1993 and1994.
Recent indications that the recovery is under may include:
· an increase in manufacturing output;
· a steady upward trend in retail sales;
· increases in new car registrations;
· record levels of exports;
· increased business and consumer confidence; and
· signs of greater activity in the housing market.
The Government’s policy is to ensure sustainable economic growth through low inflation and sound public finances. The Government’s economic policy is set in the context of a medium-term financial strategy, which is revived each year. Within this strategy, monetary and fiscal policies are designed to defeat inflation. Short-term interest rates remain the essential instrument of monetary policy.
Macroeconomic policy is directed towards keeping down the rate of inflation as the basis for sustainable growth, while micro-economic policies seek to improve the working of markets and encourage enterprise, efficiency and flexibility through measures such as privatization, deregulation and tax reforms.
The economy is now benefiting from substantially lower interest rates. In September 1993 base interest rates were at 6%. They had been cut by 9 percentage points since October 1990, and were at their lowest since 1977.
6. The Modern British Industry
Private enterprises in the Great Britain generate over three-quarters of total domestic income. Since 1979 the Government has privatized 46 major businesses and reduced the state-owned sector of industry by about two-thirds. The Government is taking measures to cut unnecessary regulations imposed on business, and runs a number of schemes which provide direct assistance or advice to small and medium-sized businesses.
In some sectors a small number of large companies and their subsidiaries are responsible for a substantial proportion of total production, notably in the vehicle, aerospace and transport equipment industries. Private enterprises account for the greater part of activity in the agricultural, manufacturing, construction, distributive, financial and miscellaneous service sectors. The private sector contributed 75% of total domestic final expenditure in 1992, general government 24 % and public corporations 1%.
About 250 British industrial companies in the latest reporting period each had an annual turnover of more than £500 million. The annual turnover of the biggest company, British Petroleum’, makes it the llth largest industrial grouping in the world and the second largest in Europe. Five British firms are among the top 25 European Community companies.
7. The Modern British Army
The strength of the regular armed forces, all volunteers, was nearly 271,000 in mid-1993 — 133,000 in the Army, 79,300 in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and 58,500 in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. There were 18,800 women personnel — 7,500 in the Army, 6,800 in the RAF, and 4,400 in the Royal Navy.
British forces’ main military roles are to:
· ensure the protection and security of Britain and its dependent territories;
· ensure against any major external threat to Britain and its allies; and
· contribute towards promoting Britain’s wider security interests through the maintenance of international peace and security.
Most of Britain’s nuclear and conventional forces are committed to NATO and about 95% of defence expenditure to meeting its NATO responsibilities. In recognition of the changed European security situation, Britain’s armed forces are being restructured in consultation with other NATO allies.
Under these plans, the strength of the armed forces is being cut by 22%, leaving by the mid-1990s some 119,000 in the Army, 70,000 in the RAF and 52,500 in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. This involves reductions in main equipment of:
· three Tornado GR1 squadrons, four Phantom squadrons, two Buccaneer squadrons and part of a squadron of Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft;
· 12 submarines, nine destroyers and frigates and 13 mine
· countermeasures ships; and
· 327 main battle tanks.
Civilian staff employed by the Ministry of Defence will be reduced from 169,100 in 1991 to 135,000.
As a member of NATO, Britain fully supports the Alliance’s current strategic concept, under which its tasks are to:
· help to provide a stable security environment, in which no country is able to intimidate or dominate any European country through the threat or use of force;
· serve as a transatlantic forum for Allied consultations affecting member states’ vital interests; deter from aggression and defend member states against military attack; and
· preserve the strategic balance within Europe.
Похожие работы
... в основном были крестьянами, которые лишились своей земли и теперь были вынуждены покупать продукты питания и одежду, что увеличило спрос на эти и другие товары. К началу восемнадцатого века в Великобритании уже существовали примитивные машины для массового производства простых в изготовлении товаров. Каждая машина предназначалась для выполнения одной простой операции, что привело к развитию ...
... , открытие нефтяных месторождений обернулось скорее потерей, чем приобретением. Оно задержало важные сдвиги в экономической политике страны по оживлению национальной экономики. У Великобритании - большие накопления капитала и благоприятное географическое положение. Веками в Лондоне концентрировались вложения и богатства всего мира, здесь формировались международные условия бизнеса и сюда было за ...
... . У него есть четыре определенные цели: поощрять предпринимательство, инновации и высокую производительность труда; максимально использовать научные, промышленные и технологические возможности Великобритании; создать сильные рынки конкуренции разработать справедливую и законную систему регулирования отраслей экономики. Конкурентоспособность МТП осуществляет меры по сокращению разрыва ...
... и особенности функционирования. §2 Особенности партийно-политической системы Великобритании и основные характеристики внутриполитической обстановки накануне парламентских выборов 1979 года. Современная партийно-политическая система Великобритании сложилась начиная с реформы 1832 г. Можно сказать, что в основном это произошло в викторианскую эпоху. После первой мировой войны и до наших ...
0 комментариев