§ Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many business start-ups there were during the latest quarter for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Norman LamontIn the calendar year 1988, the latest for which official figures have been published by the 121W Employment Department, the net increase in the number of businesses registered for VAT was 64,000, an average of over 1,200 a week, the highest recorded level. This compares with an average weekly increase of around 800 a week in 1987.