§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms in (a) the west midlands and (b) the black country area of the west midlands have gone into liquidation since May 1979; and what was the percentage change over the seven years prior to May 1979 in the two areas, respectively.
§ Mr. Howard[pursuant to his reply, 17 March 1986]: I regret that official figures of company liquidations are not available by area. The provisional total number of bankruptcies administered in the years 1979 to 1985 inclusive by county courts in the whole of the west midlands county was 2,009 and in the black country area 696. The black country area is defined as that part of the west midlands county covered by the courts in Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich, that is omitting those in Birmingham, Coventry and Stourbridge. In west midlands the annual average was 56 per cent. higher than in the two years 1977–78 and in the black country it was 57 per cent. Comparisons are not given with the previous seven years because of a break in continuity at the end of 1976. The figures relate to all individuals and partnerships; for England and Wales as a whole, unincorporated businesses account for between 75 and 80 per cent. of the total.