§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the numbers of business start-ups and bankruptcies in Wales in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. RedwoodOfficial estimates of bankruptcy orders are compiled for Wales and England combined and are not separately available for Wales. The best available guide to trends in numbers of business starts comes from VAT data. The number of VAT registrations in Wales is available for each year from 1980 onwards and is as follows: 527W
Wales—VAT registrations Number 1980 7,100 1981 7,100 1982 7,700 1983 8,000 1984 7,600 1985 7,300 1986 7,800 1987 8,700 1988 10,900 1989 10,900 1990 10,200 1991 8,400 1992 17,400 1 The estimate for 1992 is not compatible with those for earlier years due to the effects of the increase in the VAT threshold from £25,400 to £35,000 introduced in the March 1991 Budget. Source: Department of Trade and Industry.