§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Postcomm with regard to its proposals to redefine the Royal Mail's universal service obligations. [143024]
§ Mr. TimmsThe Department has a regular dialogue with Postcomm on a wide range of postal issues concerning the postal market.
Start-ups: VAT Registrations per 10,000 resident adults1 19922 19932 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 North West 36 33 31 30 32 35 35 34 34 33 33 Merseyside 28 24 22 22 22 24 24 23 23 23 22 St. Helens 27 20 19 19 20 21 19 20 21 20 20
Closures: VAT De-registrations per 10,000 resident adults1 19922 19932 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 North West 41 40 34 33 30 30 31 31 31 31 33 Merseyside 34 31 24 25 23 21 21 20 21 19 23 St. Helens 29 28 20 23 22 19 19 18 18 17 18 1Mid-year resident adult (16 and over) population estimates. 2The large VAT threshold increase in 1993 means data before and after this date are only broadly comparable. Source:
Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1980–2002; population data from The Office for National Statistics
For further information on the VAT statistics please see www.sbs.gov.uk/statistics/vatstats.php
The number of company insolvencies for each financial year in the North West area is as follows:
566W
Company insolvencies in the North West1 Company insolvencies2 1999–2000 672 2000–01 620 2001–02 651 2002–03 927 1Includes the Official Receivers offices of Blackpool, Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent. Businesses recorded in these figures were not necessarily active in the North West prior to being wound-up. 2Does not include creditors voluntary liquidations.