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9 Oct 2006 : Column 280W—continued

Table 3: Employment, by full-time and part-time status, and unemployment; Yorkshire and the Number region..
	Employment (16+) (000)|				Unemployment (16+)
12 months ending	( 1) Total	Full-time	Part-time	Working age employment rate (percentage)	Total (000)	Rate (percentage)
February 1996	2,173,	1,603	566	71.2	200	8.4
February 1997	2,151	1,590	560	70.4	198	8.4
February 1998	2,170	1,594	576	71.1	172	7.3
February 1999	2,212	1,616	595	72.6	164	6.9
February 2000	2,211	1,620	591	72.6	152	6.4
February 2001	2,259	1,634	624	73.6	140	5.9
February 2002	2,265	1,658	606	73.4	121	5.1
February 2003	2,280	1,664	616	73.3	119	5.0
February 2004	2,312	1,671	641	73.9	121	5.0
March 2005	2,320	1,696	623	74.1	105	4.3
December 2005	2,327	1,697	629	74.1	115	4.7
(1)Includes people who did not state whether they worked full-time or part-time. Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution. Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey: Annual Population Survey

9 Oct 2006 : Column 281W

9 Oct 2006 : Column 282W

Table 4: Employment, by full-time and part-time status, and unemployment; United Kingdom.
	Employment (16+) (000)				Unemployment (16+)
12 months ending	( 1) Total	Full-time	Part-time	Working age employment rate (percentage)	Total (000)	Rate (percentage)
February 1996	25,721	19,409	6,270	71.2	2,400	8.5
February 1997	26,011	19,482	6,520	71.9	2,207	7.8
February 1998	26,357	19,752	6,594	72.6	1,911	6.8
February 1999	26,659	19,996	6,655	73.3	1,730	6.1
February 2000	26,908	20,142	6,758	73.6	1,689	5.9
February 2001	27,180	20,283	6,887	73.9	1,518	5.3
February 2002	27,433	20,508	6,915	74.1	1,450	5.0
February 2003	27,566	20,484	7,067	74.0	1,494	5.1
February 2004	27,789	20,538	7,237	74.1	1,444	4.9
March 2005	28,039	20,836	7,184	74.3	1,381	4.7
December 2005	28,134	20,868	7,249	74.3	1,436	4.9
(1)Includes people who did not state whether they worked full-time or part-time. Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution. Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey: Annual Population .Survey

Enterprise Development Fund

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have (a) requested and (b) received assistance from the enterprise development fund in each year since 1999. [84787]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

An accurate assessment of the number of businesses that have requested assistance from the enterprise fund in each year since 1999 could only be determined at disproportionate cost.

The number of businesses that have received finance as a result of programmes supported by the enterprise fund in each year since 1999 are set out in the following table.

	Number of businesses
1999-2000	4,279
2000-01	4,312
2001-02	4,350
2002-03	3,992
2003-04	6,100
2004-05	7,270
2005-06	6,109
Total	36,412

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was allocated to the enterprise development fund in each year since 1999; how much has been awarded from the fund in each such year; and if he will make a statement. [84788]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

There is no enterprise development fund in DTI/SBS.

Following a review of SME finance markets, The enterprise fund (not the enterprise development fund) was created in 1999. This was designed to improve access to equity investment support, for SMEs with growth potential, and to improve the small firms loan guarantee.

The following table sets out Government’s total investment in SME equity programmes.

£
	Allocated (committed)	Awarded (drawn down)
1999-000	—	—
2000-01	20,000,000	20,000,000
2001-02	37,375,000	2,100,000
2002-03	59,650,000	11,889,329
2003-04	23,875,000	28,367,661
2004-05	5,000,000	31,123,908
2005-06	-	22,898,829
Total	145,900,000	116,379,727

“Allocated” is the total amount of money committed for investment by Government, and “Awarded” is the total amount of funds drawn down against these commitments.

Venture Capital (VC) funds have an investment period of between five to six years. On signing the Limited Partnership Agreement with each investor, the Fund will typically draw down 10 per cent of each investor’s total commitment in the first instance and access further moneys as and when they are requested. Typically VC funds will not make their first investment until several months following the Funds’ launch. Investment levels tend to peak in years three to four.

The number of loans guaranteed, their value and that of the demands made against the guarantee in each year since 1999 are set out in the following table.

	Loans guaranteed	Value of loans (£ million)	Value of demands (£ million)
1999-2000	4279	206.00	38.95
2000-01	4312	240.46	34.43
2001-02	4269	254.70	44.93
2002-03	3916	269.00	50.00
2003-04	5966	409.30	52.68
2004-05	7130	481.30	57.42
2005-06	5957	422.10	76.10
Total	35,829	2,282.86	354.51

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