Total British production fell by ten percent over the course of the war; there were, however, increases in certain industries such as steel.[7] Although Britain faced a controversial shell shortage, this has been attributed to extraordinary orders placed by the government at the outbreak of war (without concern for the capacity of its industry), rather than inefficient production.[7] In 1915, the Ministry of Munitions under David Lloyd-George was formed to control munitions production and had considerable success.[116][117] By April 1915, just two million rounds of shells had been sent to France; by the end of the war the figure had reached 187 million,[118] and a year's worth of pre-war production of light munitions could be completed in just four days by 1918. Aircraft production in 1914 provided employment for 60,000 men and women; by 1918 British firms employed over 347,000.[7]