§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria of assessment are applied in awarding self-employment grants to individuals engaging themselves in hairdressing.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe same eligibility tests are applied to all applications for the enterprise allowance scheme irrespective of the nature of the proposed business. The conditions which the enterprise must satisfy in order to qualify for support are described in the leaflet EPL124 "Enterprise Allowance Scheme, A Guide", which is available in the Library.
No special conditions apply to hairdressing ventures.
§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many individuals have been in receipt of self-employment grants for their establishment in hairdressing in (a) Cleveland county, (b) the northern region and (c) England and Wales.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkI regret the figures are not available in the form requested. However, experience in the pilot enterprise allowance scheme suggests that about 1 per cent. of those joining the scheme start up in hairdressing.
§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of individuals, having received self-employment grants for their establishment in hairdressing, have continued operating in that industry 12 months after the receipt of the grant.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkNo separate information is available on the survival rates of hairdressing businesses set up with the help of the enterprise allowance scheme. However,146W experience in the pilot scheme suggests that about 70 per cent. of all businesses supported are still trading up to 18 months after joining the scheme.