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VAT Registrations

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses
 
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were (a) registered and (b) de-registered for VAT in each year since 2001 in each (i) constituency and (ii) region. [210135]

Nigel Griffiths: DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations and de-registrations are not available at constituency level, however local authority level data are available and are published on the Small Business Service website, VAT registrations and de-registrations for the UK regions and countries are shown as follows for 2001 to 2003. Data for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.

Barclays have also revised the methodology for calculating the number of start-ups and have not published revised start or closure figures for the regions before 2003. Barclays bank's start-up data for each region and Wales for 2003 and for the first half of 2004 are given as follows.

Region	2003	First half 2004
East	47,500	28,600
East Midlands	34,700	21,300
London	84,300	57,200
North East	15,100	9,800
North West	57,400	34,200
South East	76,300	46,300
South West	52,400	30,600
West Midlands	38,000	23,200
Yorkshire and the Humber	37,700	23,300
Wales	21,500	13,700

Source:
Barclays Small Business Banking: Business Survey 2003–04

DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations and de-registrations are not available at constituency level, however local authority level data are available and are published on the Small Business Service website. VAT registrations and de-registrations for the UK regions and countries are shown as follows for 2001 to 2003. Data for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.

	Registrations
	2001	2002	2003
East	16,475	17,700	18,615
East Midlands	11,150	11,920	12,760
London	33,380	33,340	36,590
North East	4,090	4,310	4,640
North West	16,270	17,260	18,840
South East	27,045	28,430	30,345
South West	14,295	15,295	16,175
West Midlands	13,930	14,405	15,630
Yorkshire and the Humber	11,590	12,265	13,695
England	148,220	154,925	167,290
Northern Ireland	3,440	3,465	3,775
Scotland	10,850	11,010	11,915
Wales	5,935	6,305	6,910

	De-registrations
	2001	2002	2003
East	15,005	15,615	17,005
East Midlands	9,715	10,360	11,135
London	30,760	33,215	34,565
North East	4,035	4,035	4,010
North West	15,125	16,390	16,575
South East	23,320	25,535	27,785
South West	12,830	13,865	14,840
West Midlands	12,365	13,175	14,540
Yorkshire and the Humber	11,000	11,790	11,650
England	134,160	143,980	152,100
Northern Ireland	2,940	2,870	3,950
Scotland	10,415	10,635	11,380
Wales	5,325	6,435	6,925

Source:
Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2003, Small Business Service, available from: www.sbs.gov.uk/analytical/statistics/vatstats.php





 
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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 4 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2003.

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many VAT registrations there have been in Hartlepool in each year since 1997. [210616]

Nigel Griffiths: DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for Hartlepool unitary authority are shown as follows for the period 1997 to 2003. Data on VAT registrations are also available in the Library of the House. Data for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
VAT registrations 1997–2003—Hartlepool

	Number
1997	110
1998	130
1999	110
2000	110
2001	115
2002	105
2003	135

Source:
Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2003, Small Business Service, available from: www.sbs.gov.uk/analytical/statistics/vatstats.php

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 4 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2003.

TRANSPORT

Agency Staff

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by (a) the Driver Standards Agency, (b) Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority, (c) Vehicle Certification Authority and (d) Vehicle and Operator Service Agency; what the running costs of each body was in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the future of each body. [203826]

Mr. Jamieson: The information is as follows.

DVLA

1. At 1 April, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) employed 6,250 staff on a full-time equivalent basis.

2. The most recent published accounts for the DVLA are for the 2003–04 financial year, in which the operating costs of the agency were £381.2 million.

 
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3. As part of its realisation of efficiency gains, the DVLA has plans to reduce the number of staff employed by at least 500 by 2007–08.

DSA

1. At 1 April 2004, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) employed 2,263 staff on a full-time equivalent basis.

2. The most recent published accounts for DSA are for the 2003–04 financial year, in which the running costs of the agency were £113.8 million.

3. Demand for driving tests has continued to increase significantly leading to a major recruitment and training exercise for driving examiners and supporting call centre, deployment and customer service staff. The DSA plans to increase staff by around 350 by 2005–06. Of these over 230 will be driving examiners.

VCA

1. At 1 April 2004, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) employed 110 staff on a full-time equivalent basis.

2. The most recent published accounts for VCA are for the 2003–04 financial year, in which the running costs of the agency were £7.5 million.

3. There are currently no plans to change the number of staff employed by the VCA.

VOSA

1. At 1 April 2004, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) employed 2,650 staff on a full-time equivalent basis.

2. The most recent published accounts for VOSA are for the 2003–04 financial year, in which the operating costs of the agency were £127 million.

3. There are currently no plans to change the number of staff employed by VOSA.

Ongoing review

We keep all four agencies under review, in accordance with Government guidelines, to ensure that their function is still required and that they continue to provide the most effective means of carrying out those functions.

Airport Security

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the Home Office, (b) the Security Services, (c) the National Criminal Intelligence Service, (d) the National Crime Squad, (e) the Immigration Service, (f) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and (g) the Association of Chief Police Officers, regarding the level of security at UK airports. [220370]

Charlotte Atkins: Department for Transport Ministers and Officials keep the threat to civil aviation in the UK, and the security measures in place at UK airports, under constant review in conjunction with the organisations listed and the aviation industry. In addition to regular bilateral discussions on specific issues, these bodies are represented on relevant cross-departmental ministerial and Cabinet Office committees; the National Aviation Security Committee (NASC) and its various sub-committees; and the Multi-Agency Threat and Risk Assessment (MATRA) groups that have been established at all UK airports.

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