HC Deb 23 July 1991 vol 195 c530W
Mr. Oppenheim

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many businessess in the east midlands were registered for value added tax in(a) 1979 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Forth

At the end of 1979 there were 88,200 businesses registered for VAT in the east midlands. By the end of 1989, the latest year for which figures are available, this figure had risen to 113,400 businesses.