Business Expansion Schemes

HC Deb 19 February 1990 vol 167 cc523-4W

Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost so far of business expansion tax relief for 1989–90; and what was the cost in previous years of the scheme.

Mr. Lilley

The estimated cost of relief for 1983–84 to 1989–90 is as follows:

	£ million
1983–84	50
1984–85	75
1985–86	85
1986–87	95
1987–88	110
1988–891	130
1 Provisional.

A forecast of £60 million for the cost of relief for the business expansion scheme in 1989–90 was published in "The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1990–91 to 1992–93" (chapter 21, ref CM 1021, appendix F), but no information is yet available centrally from official sources to provide a reliable estimate of the outturn.