§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the average annual turnover of a new business in its first, second and fourth years respectively.
§ Mr. TrippierThose traders which register for VAT provide turnover information but there are too many uncertainties for estimates to be made in the form requested; we have no knowledge of when a business starts to trade and many businesses never register for VAT. The problems were discussed in the article "Business starts and 599W stops: analysis by turnover and sector of trade, UK 1980–83" (British Business 18 May 1984) copies of which were placed in the Library.