§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the answer of 23 February 1984, Official Report, column 611, if he will give the numbers of self-employed persons in the United Kingdom for the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, and show what these and the figures contained in the earlier answer represent as a percentage of the total work force.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe information requested is given in the table:
Self employed persons in the UK June Thousand Per cent. of working population *1960 1,766 7.2 1970 2,014 7.9 1979 1,903 7.2 1981 2,118 7.9 1982 2,170 8.1 1983 2,221 8.4 1984 2,494 9.2 * As the method of estimation has changed the figures for 1960 are not strictly comparable with those for later years.