§ Mr. BentonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have started up in Bootle since 1997. [176526]
§ Nigel GriffithsBarclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 115,000 business start-ups in England and Wales, including 500 in Sefton local authority (which contains the constituency of Bootle), in the fourth quarter of 2003. The latest yearly figures show 465,000 business start-ups in. England and Wales in 2003. This represents a 19 per cent. increase on the year before. There were 2,200 business start-ups in Sefton local authority in 2003. Data for local authorities are not available for before 2003,
DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for Sefton local authority (for which Bootle is a constituency) for the period 1997 to 2002 are shown in the table. Data for 2003 will be available in autumn 2004.
VAT registrations: Sefton local authority 1997 to 2002 Number 1997 570 1998 585 1999 565 2000 545 2001 580 2002 560 Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2002, Small Business Service. VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 3.8 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2002.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have started up in Stoke-on-Trent, North since 1997. [177620]
§ Nigel GriffithsBarclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 115,000 business start ups in England and Wales, including 200 in Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority and 1,300 in Staffordshire county (which both contain part of the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent, North), in the last guarter of 2003. Data for local authorities are not available for before 2003.
716WThe latest yearly figures show 465,000 business start-ups in England and Wales in 2003. This represents a 19 per cent. increase on the year before.
DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority and Staffordshire Moorlands local authority (which both contain part of the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent, North) are shown in the following table for the period 1997 to 2002. Data for 2003 will be available in autumn 2004.
VAT Registrations Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority
Staffordshire Moorlands Local
Authority
1997 470 235 1998 440 235 1999 475 250 2000 475 235 2001 455 205 2002 450 265 Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2002, Small Business Service, available from www.sbs.gov.uk/analytical/statistics/vatstats.php. The figures are also in the Libraries of the house. VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 3.8 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2002.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government have taken to help small businesses in Stoke-on-Trent, North since 1997. [177621]
§ Nigel GriffithsThe Business Link Operator for Staffordshire, Staffordshire Business Support Ltd., has provided assistance to 1,144 enterprises, in the Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency since 2001. The Small Business Service was set up as an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry in April 2000. Contracts were exchanged with a national network of 45 Business Link Operators (six in the West Midlands) to provide Business Support to small and medium sized enterprises from April 2001. Before this date Government Support to business was provided through Training and Enterprise Councils and the SBS does not have access to this data.
73 of the 1,145 companies received Business Start Up advice, other assistance provided included Workforce Development, Financial advice, Investors In People, Specialist Business Advice, International Trade, and Marketing assistance.
95 of the companies were Female run businesses and 392 were ethnic run businesses.
Since April 2000 the Enterprise Grant scheme (which closed on 31 March 2004) enabled 12 companies to receive offers of grant with a total value of £430,000.
Since 1997 the Research and Development scheme and its predecessor Smart enabled two local companies to receive offers of grant with a total value of £90,000.