HC Deb 17 March 2004 vol 419 cc324-5W
Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses have received assistance in starting-up from Government schemes and initiatives in(a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in each year from 1992, broken down by type. [158459]

Jacqui Smith

Business Link for London is the main provider of Government funding assistance for start-up businesses within the Greater London area. Other schemes are administered by national and regional organisations and it is not possible to provide figures in the format requested without disproportionate cost.

Business Link for London's (BL4L) records show that up to Quarter 3 of 2003–04 they have given advice/ support to 23,033 pre-start ups. During 2002–03 they gave advice/support to 11,466 pre-starts. Earlier figures are unavailable.

A breakdown of pre-start ups, including pre-start registrations in London boroughs during 2003–04 is detailed on the following table.

The London Development Agency (LDA) also has programmes designed to support business, small firms or new start-ups. The LDA also focus on the needs of strategic businesses that are large employers in the local economy, which sometimes need help in identifying problems at an early stage.

In 2001–02 the LDA was responsible for creating 2,073 new businesses to the London economy. In 2002–03, 1,443 businesses were created. To the end of the third quarter of 2003–04, the LDA had added 536 businesses to the London economy, against a target of 900. Current projections are that 1,357 businesses will have been created by the end of the reporting year in March 2004.

London borough, pre-starts 2003–04
Borough Number of pre-starts assisted
Barking and Dagenham 50
Barnet 277
Bexley 85
Brent 239
Bromley 162
Camden 276
City of London 32
Croydon 299
Ealing 257
Enfield 379
Greenwich 110
Hackney 202
Hammersmith and Fulham 169
Haringey 228
Harrow 154
Havering 54
Hillingdon 135
Hounslow 183
Islington 292
Kensington and Chelsea 145
Kingston upon Thames 115
Lambeth 260
Lewisham 225
Merton 133
Newham 229
Redbridge 205
Richmond upon Thames 157
Southwark 246
Sutton 100
Tower Hamlets 175
Waltham Forest 201
Wandsworth 225
Westminster 537
Not known 15,809
Total 7,224