HC Deb 22 July 1980 vol 989 cc597-8W
Mr. Newens

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will give the number of bankruptcies notified on a monthly basis for each month from January 1979;

(2) if he will give the number of bankruptcies notified in the building trade on a monthly basis for each month from January 1979.

Mr. Eyre

The numbers of bankruptcies which relate to individuals and partnerships in England and Wales are as follows:

Bankruptcies*
1979 January 337
February 334
March 302
April 217
May 293
June 345
July 354
August 176
September 193
October 355
November 352
December 242
1980 January 240
February 323
March 385
April 307
May 337
June 361

Monthly figures for individual industries are not available and quarterly figures are not very reliable and may be incomplete. Annual figures are better and the figure for 1979 for construction is given below, together with the figures for the first quarters of 1979 and 1980.

Bankruptcies* in the construction industry
Jan-Dec Jan-March
1979 832 163
1980 158
* Deeds of arrangement are included as well as receiving and administration orders.