HC Deb 24 May 2000 vol 350 c522W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the growth in the number of business start-ups since the launch of the Public Service Agreement. [123533]

Mr. Alan Johnson

Since the Public Service Agreement was launched in December 1998 it is estimated that there have been 549,000 business start-ups in England and Wales.