§ Mr. Woofasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many traders in the United Kingdom have now registered for VAT.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonThe approximate number of persons registered for VAT
SIC Order VAT Group Trade Group Approximate number of registered persons Primary Industries I 01 Agriculture, forestry and fishing … … 185,300 II 02 Mining and quarrying … … 1,400 Manufacturing Industries III 03 Food, drink and tobacco … … 9,700 VII 04 Coal and petroleum products … … 200 V 05 Chemicals and allied industries … … 3,000 VI 06 Metal manufacture … … 2,500 VII 07 Mechanical engineering … … 18,400 VII 08 Instrument engineering … … 2,100 IX 09 Electrical engineering … … 5,800 X 10 Shipbuilding, boatbuilding and marine engineering … … 1,800 XI 11 Vehicles … … 1,100 XII 12 Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 14,000 XIII 13 Textiles … … 5,900 XIV 14 Leather, leather goods and furs … … 2,300 XV 15 Clothing and footwear … … 10,900 XVI 16 Bricks, ceramics, glass, cement etc. … … 2,200 XVII 17 Timber furniture … … 9,000 XVIII 18 Paper, printing and publishing … … 15,200 XIX 19 Other manufacturing industries … … 10,700 Construction XX 20 Construction … … 184,300 Utilities XXI 21 Gas, electricity and water … … 200 Transport and Communications XXII 22 Transport and communications … … 54,300 Distributive Trades XXIII 23 Wholesale distribution … … 52,900 XXIII 24 Retail distribution … … 290,000 XXIII 25 Dealers … … 25,000 Services XXIV 26 Insurance, banking and business services … … 36,000 XXV 27 Professional and scientific services … … 48,000 XXVI 28 Miscellaneous services … … 229,700 XXVII 29 Public administration and defence … … 1,900 Total … … 1,223,800