§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been granted an enterprise allowance in each year since the enterprise allowance scheme was introduced; what information he has about(a) the proportion of people who have become self-employed and (b) signed as being available for work at the expiry of the enterprise allowance; what proposals he has for the future of the enterprise allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CopeThe numbers of people granted an enterprise allowance are as follows:
Total number joined in that period Financial year Number April 1989 to June 1989 22,511 1988–89 98,522 1987–88 106,305 1986–87 86,751 1985–86 60,037 1984–85 46,037 August 1983 to March 19841 27,629 February 1982 to July 19832 3,331 1 National implementation. 2 Pilot in five parts of the country. Information on the proportion of people who signed as being available for work at the expiry of the enterprise allowance is not collected on a regular basis. However, latest survey evidence shows that of businesses completing a full year on the scheme, six months later 74 per cent. were still trading, 9 per cent. were in paid employment or other self-employment, and 15 per cent. were unemployed (the remaining 2 per cent. were sick, retired, or provided no answer).
In the future, responsibility for running the enterprise allowance scheme, along with training and other enterprise measures, will be passed to the training and enterprise councils (TECs).
330Wplaces under the sheltered placement scheme in each of the years 1985–86 to 1988–89 inclusive, and estimated figures for the year 1989–90 for each employment service region. Firm estimates for the years 1990–91 and 1991–92 have not yet been made.