§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many small businesses there are in Wales. [1265]
§ Mr. HainOfficial statistics on small business numbers are not available separately for Wales. The available data relate to VAT-registered enterprises only and therefore exclude many firms with a turnover below the VAT threshold. These figures show that in 1996 some 60,000 VAT-registered enterprises in Wales had a turnover of less than £250,000.