§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new businesses were started up in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [36149]
§ Mr. Ancram[holding answer 8 July 1996]: There is no comprehensive count of new business start-ups. However, information on VAT registrations can provide a useful indication of the number of businesses created and estimates for the years 1990 to 1994 are given in the table. Figures for 1995 are not yet available. It should be noted that many start-up businesses are below the VAT threshold in their initial months.
VAT registrations in Northern Ireland
- 1990: 3,300
- 1991: 3,700
- 1992: 3,700
- 1993: 4,000
- 1994: 3,900