HC Deb 05 May 2004 vol 420 cc1509-10W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many small businesses re-registered for VAT in Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1997; [170636]

(2) how many new VAT registrations of small companies there were in Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1997. [170637]

John Healey

Statistics published by the Small Business Service for total VAT registrations for the Shrewsbury and Atcham area from 1997 are shown in the following table:

New registrations Total registrations1
1997 270 2,975
1998 270 3,015
1999 250 3,050
2000 270 3,070
2001 265 3,090
2002 290 3,130
2003 n/a 3,185
1Start of year.

However, total VAT registration data do not capture all business start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to register if they fall below the compulsory VAT registration threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. There were only 1.8 million out of 3.8 million enterprises registered for VAT at the start of 2002.