Fireworks

HC Deb 12 November 2003 vol 413 c321W

Mr. Woodward

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's estimate is of the number of Chinese bomb fireworks imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last four years. [137975]

Mr. Sutcliffe

The information requested is not available because the system of classification used to record trade does not separately identify Chinese bomb fireworks.

VAT registrations, all sizes of business, 1997–2002
Number
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
East Riding of Yorkshire	770	810	790	800	725	870
City of Kingston-upon-Hull	445	400	390	430	415	455
Former county of The Humber	1,865	1,855	1,820	1,870	1,780	1,980
United Kingdom	187,690	187,515	181,370	184,035	174,620	175,800

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses in Pendle(a) registered and (b) de-registered for VAT in each year since 1997. [138101]

Nigel Griffiths

The latest year for which VAT registration and de-registration data are available is 2002.

VAT registration, all sizes of business, 1997 to 2002
Number
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Pendle	175	185	195	220	215	205
Lancashire	2,940	2,995	2,925	2,945	2,895	2,875
North West GOR	18,460	18,720	17,830	18,285	17,445	17,595
United Kingdom	187,690	187,515	181,370	184,035	174,620	175,800

VAT de-registrations, all sizes of business, 1997 to 2002
Number
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Pendle	200	190	180	185	205	175
Lancashire	2,720	2,615	2,690	2,630	3,035	2,895
North West GOR	16,230	16,270	16,290	16,735	16,550	17,750
United Kingdom	151,900	153,450	160,410	165,475	167,185	176,040

VAT registrations 1997–2002, rate per 10,000 resident adults1
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Pendle	26	27	29	32	31	29
Lancashire	33	33	33	33	32	32
North West GOR	35	35	34	34	33	33
United Kingdom	41	41	39	39	37	37

VAT de-registrations 1997 to 2002, rate per 10,000 resident adults1
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Pendle	30	28	27	27	30	25
Lancashire	30	29	30	29	34	32
North West GOR	30	31	31	31	31	33
United Kingdom	33	33	35	35	35	37
1 Mid-year resident adults (aged 16 and over)

Source:

Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2002