§ Mr. CarttissTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the most recent estimate of the number of small businesses in the United Kingdom. [32192]
§ Mr. PageIn order more clearly to evaluate the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, detailed research has been undertaken fully to understand the number and size of businesses in the UK. The research was the first to draw on the new official business register, the interdepartmental business register, as well as on estimates of self-employment.
Figures released today show that there were 3.6 million businesses in the UK in 1993–800,000 more than estimated by previous research. The vast majority of them are small—99 per cent. have under 100 employees. The new figures confirm the huge increase in the number of small businesses—an extra 1.2 million—since 1979.