§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give the total amount of tax relief given to business expansion scheme investment in housing from its inception to the most recent date for which figures are available and for each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales;
(2) if he will give the total number of applications approved for housing business expansion scheme investments in housing from its inception to the most recent date for which figures are available and for each of the standard regions of Scotland and Wales.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 29 June 1989]: No information on applications or the cost of the business expansion scheme tax relief for investments in residential property is yet available centrally from official sources.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total amount of tax relief given to business expansion scheme investments in each of the years 1983–84 to 1988–89 inclusive and for each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 29 June 1989]: The estimated cost of relief for 1983–84 to 1987–88 is as follows:
Companies receiving investments (numbers) 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 South East 298 399 342 381 356 East Anglia 28 32 43 40 39 South West 56 64 64 57 68 West Midlands 55 58 51 40 38 East Midlands 38 35 29 23 29 Yorkshire and Humberside 43 45 35 49 42 North and North West 51 86 56 76 68 Wales 20 18 19 19 15 Scotland 59 57 38 47 76 Northern Ireland 7 13 15 10 7 Unknown 60 — 10 — — Total 715 807 702 742 738
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total number of individuals obtaining tax relief for business expansion scheme investments in each of the years 1983–84 to 1988–89 inclusive and for each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 29 June 1989]: I regret that information on which to base reliable estimates of the numbers of investors receiving relief is not available centrally.