§ The Marquess of Salisburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much money has been provided by way of grants to applicants wishing to start new businesses in the counties of Tyrone and Armagh from the UK Government and from EC sources; how many new businesses funded in this way have failed; and whether the number of failures is a higher or lower percentage than for Great Britain as a whole.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Lyell)The available information is as follows. Since January 1986 the total support offered by the Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU) towards the establishment of new businesses in Counties Armagh and Tyrone was some £7.5 million. In the financial years 1985–86 and 1986–87, £1.4 million was paid under the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, the Industrial Development Board offered assistance totalling almost £3.5 million and commitments from the European Regional Development Fund totalled £0.75 million. Under the First Special Border Areas Measure, introduced under the non-quota section of the fund, over £67,000 was earned on new business projects between 1980 and 1985.
Information on the failure rate of small businesses and comparisons with Great Britain is not readily available.