Changing UK Economy Flashcards
Cause of Economic Change
DE-INDUSTRIALISATION
1 - Industrial base has declined due to increased automation = JOB LOSSES
2 - Increased competition abroad as goods are being produced more cheaply = forced some UK industries to close
Cause of Economic Change
GLOBALISATION
1 - A lot of manufacturing moved overseas - labour costs are lower
2 - Some TNC’s have moved there tertiary and quaternary operations to the UK
3 - Increases in foreign trade = Increases in UK GDP
Cause of Economic Change
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
1 - PRIVATISATION of key manufacturing industries led to major job loses
2 - DE REGULATION - removing taxes on business to encourage entrepreneurs
3 - TRADE AGREEMENTS - make it easier to trade across the world
Why has DE-INDUSTRIALISATION occurred
Since 1960’s manufacturing has declined = rise in tertiary and quaternary industries. This is due to overseas competition = cheaper production
Moving towards a POST INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY
SERVICES
SERVICES
1 - Retail & Entertainment - 4M people in UK
Moving towards a POST INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY
IT
IT
1 - Major IT businesses EG Microsoft & IBM employ 3/4 M people in the UK
Moving towards a POST INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY
FINANCE
FINANCE
1 - Home to many global financial institutions Eg - HSBC
Moving towards a POST INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
1 - R&D investment - maximising UK’s skilled graduates
UK economy’s main growth area in the future:
- NHS
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Engineering
- Universities
- Biotechnology
Moving towards a POST INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY
SCIENCE & BUSINESS PARKS
SCIENCE & BUSINESS PARKS
A group of scientific and technical knowledge-based businesses located on a single site
Mostly associated with universities → use research facilities + employ skilled graduates
SCIENCE PARK EG - University of Southampton Science Park
- Includes a hundred small science and innovation businesses
- Strong links with the university of Southampton
BUSINESS PARK EG - Cobalt Business Park - NE England
- North-East of England
- UK’s largest business park
- Companies located there include:
- IBM
- Santander
How do science + business parks provide opportunity for regional and economic growth?
- Needed mostly in areas in the north-west → Manchester + Liverpool
- Cobalt business park has inspired economic growth → attracting new business + investment
- Areas like these are footloose → don’t require large areas of land + don’t need to be near an energy or raw materials source
- Transport links
- Retail opportunities, cafes + gyms → people spend money to boost the economy + cause multiplier effect
Impact of ROADS on Economic Development
1 - SMART MOTORWAYS - more capacity - extra lanes
EG M4
2- Plans for 400 miles of new road 2015 - 20
EG Dual carriageways - A5 - M1
Positives - Create thousands of construction jobs + boost local + regional economies
Impact of ROADS on Economic Development
EXAMPLE - South-West ‘super highway’
£2 billion road widening project for the next 15 years to Plymouth and further
Positives
- Creates hundreds of construction jobs → economic
- Reduces journey time
- Benefit world heritage site by improving the environment for wildlife
Negatives
- Heavy traffic in construction and after → environmental
- Constant noise → social
Impact of RAILWAYS on Economic Development
1 - CROSS RAIL - increase central London rail capacity 10%
2- HS2 - London ⇢ B’ham ⇢ Leeds ⇢ Manchester