§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in each county in Wales are currently receiving a grant under the enterprise allowance scheme at the latest available date; and how much money has been allocated to the scheme in Wales.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasThe information is only available on an employment area basis and on 9 May 1984 the number of people receiving the enterprise allowance was as follows:
Number North Wales 561 West Wales 563 Mid Glamorgan 571 South Glamorgan Gwent 294 The allocation for Wales in 1984–85 is approximately £4.6 million.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs have been created as a result of the enterprise allowance scheme in each county in Wales.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasInformation is only available about numbers of actual recipients of enteprise allowance and I have given figures to the hon. Gentleman in another answer today. No information is however available about people employed by recipients.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many businesses set up under the enterprise allowance scheme in each county in Wales are still in operation (a) one year and (b) 18 months after they started.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasThe information is not available since the enterprise allowance scheme has been in operation nationally only since August 1983. However,282W inquiries carried out in the pilot areas which included Wrexham and where the scheme started in April 1982 showed that 90 per cent. of those who joined the scheme remained in it for 12 months and three quarters of those who joined were still in business 19 months after joining.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average length of time for applicants on the waiting list of the enterprise allowance scheme in each county in Wales in 1983 and at the latest available date.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasNo waiting lists were necessary in 1983. However, the considerable growth in interest in the scheme made it necessary to introduce waiting lists early in 1984. Information is not available for all counties, but on an employment area basis on 2 May 1984 the numbers on the waiting lists and the average waiting time was as follows:
Number Months North Wales 478 6 West Wales 425 6 Mid and South Glamorgan 320 6 to 7 Gwent 210 5 to 6
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many places are presently available per week under the enterprise allowance scheme in each county in Wales; how many extra places are planned; and how much extra money will be allocated to cover the costs of the extra places.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasInformation is not available on a county basis, on an employment area basis, the number of places currently available per week are 11 each in north Wales, west Wales, mid and south Glamorgan and six in Gwent. For the period May, June and July an extra 313 places are to be made available bringing the weekly total to 18 each in north Wales, west Wales, mid and south Glamorgan and 10 in Gwent. The cost of the extra places will be of the order of £400,000.