§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many self-employed people there were in Scotland in every year since 1979; and how this figure is calculated.
§ Mr. LangThe table shows the estimated number of self-employed people in Scotland in September of each year from 1979 to 1989, the latest date for which estimates are available. Self-employment in Scotland is estimated to have increased by over 40 per cent. in the past 10 years.
Estimates of the self-employed in Scotland up to mid-1988 are based on the 1981 census of population and the results of the labour force surveys carried out between 1981 and 1988. The provisional estimates for dates after June 1988 have been made on the assumption that the average annual rate of growth in self-employment in Scotland between June 1981 and June 1988, as shown by the labour force survey, has continued.
Estimated number of self-employed in Scotland September Number thousands 1979 159 1980 153 1981 153 1982 168 1983 181 1984 189 1985 201 1986 202 1987 199 1988 217 1989 227 Source: Department of Employment