HC Deb 30 April 1996 vol 276 cc443-4W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many small firms(a) are currently participating in investors in people and (b) have achieved the standard (i) in total and (ii) in each parliamentary constituency. [27008]

Mr. Paice

[holding answer 29 April 1996]: At 29 February 1996, a total of 13,987 small firms in the UK—that is those employing fewer than 200 employees—had made a formal commitment to achieve the investors in people standard; 2,385 small firms are already recognised as having achieved the standard. This gives a total of 16,372 small firms participating in investors in people.

A breakdown of the figures by parliamentary constituency is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a regional breakdown is provided in the following table:

Investors in People Commitments and Recognitions in Small Firms (organisations with fewer than 200 employees)
Region Commitments Recognitions
East Midlands 1,315 150
Eastern 1,248 110
London 1,926 142
Merseyside 424 102
North West 1,923 246
Northern 472 126
South East 1,837 219
South West 1,280 380
West Midlands 1,305 252
Yorkshire and Humberside 1,089 217
Wales 633 145
Scotland 457 203
Northern Ireland 61 25