§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of unemployed people in(a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland who have been helped to start a business through the enterprise allowance scheme in each year since its inception; and how many of these schemes have failed in each year.
§ Mr. LangThe number of unemployed people who started their own business with the help of the enterprise allowance scheme in each year since its inception in August 1983 in the areas requested is set out in the table.
Enterprise allowance scheme Entrants Year Greenock and Port Glasgow Strathclyde Scotland 1983–84 (August to March) 26 585 2,249 1984–85 48 1,352 3,794 1985–86 79 1,601 5,311 1986–87 105 2,386 8,260 1987–88 122 2,779 9,894 1988–89 101 2,558 8,494 Information on the number of these businesses which have subsequently failed is not available. However, the latest national survey shows that of those businesses completing 12 months on the scheme 74 per cent. were still trading 18 months after start-up with 65 per cent. still trading three years after start-up.