HC Deb 21 April 2004 vol 420 cc528-9W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the proportion of personal bankruptcies that involve owners of businesses. [165216]

Mr. Sutcliffe

The table as follows shows the number of bankruptcies broken down by self-employed and other individuals along with related percentages. This shows that over the period the number of bankruptcies involving owners of businesses has fallen, the increase in total bankruptcies being driven by bankruptcies of other individuals. The proportion of self-employed bankruptcies has fallen from 61 per cent. in 1995 to 36 per cent. in 2002.

Bankrupticies: Self-employed and other individuals from 1995 to 2002
self-employed other individuals Total bankruptcies Per cent. self employed Per cent. other individuals
1995 13,282 8,651 21,933 61 39
1996 12,667 9,136 21,803 58 42
1997 11,269 8,623 19,892 57 43
1998 10,420 9,227 19,647 53 47
1999 10,723 10,888 21,611 50 50
2000 9,952 11,598 21,550 46 54
2001 9,839 13,638 23,477 42 58
2002 8,854 15,438 24,292 36 64

Mr. Kilfoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many bankruptcies there were in Liverpool, Walton in each year between 1997 and 2003. [166970]

Mr. Sutcliffe

Bankruptcy figures are only available on the basis of the Official Receivers Office dealing with the cases, therefore it is not possible to separate bankruptcies pertaining to Liverpool, Walton. The following table gives annual figures for the number of individual bankruptcies dealt with by the Official Receivers Office in Liverpool, which covers the county courts of Birkenhead, Liverpool, St. Helens, Southport and the Wirral.

Bankruptcies registered at the Official Receivers Office in Liverpool 1997–2003
Official Receivers Office Liverpool
1997 414
1998 416
1999 525
2000 563
2001 696
2002 747
2003 820

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