§ 64. Mr. Andrew HargreavesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the latest figures for the establishment of new businesses in inner-city areas.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeA total of 46,000 new businesses were registered for VAT in urban priority areas in 1986. That is the latest year for which complete figures are available. The number of VAT registered businesses in the inner cities was 307,000 at the end of 1986—2.3 per cent. higher than the two years before.
273WWe have no accurate figures for the number of new businesses below the threshold for VAT in urban priority areas. However about one third of all enterprise allowance scheme applicants come from these areas and we expect to have 110,000 entrants nationally in 1988–89.