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10 July 2008 : Column 1728W—continued
Family Businesses
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the contribution of family businesses to the economy. [216502]
Mr. McFadden: The Department estimates that there are 3.3 million SME family businesses in the UK (74 per cent. of all SMEs), of which around 820,000 have employees. It is estimated that family businesses contribute around £860 billion in turnover and £230 billion in Gross Value Added to the UK economy (63 per cent. of the SME total contribution).
These estimates are based on the BERR Annual Small Business Survey 2006/07, the BERR SME Statistics for the UK 2006 and ONS Annual Business Inquiry 2005.
Furniture Industry: EU Grants and Loans
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for what reasons the furniture industry was not included on the list of industries eligible to receive EU structural funds in the UK. [216592]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 7 July 2008]: The rules governing the EU structural funds for 2007-13 do not require a list of eligible industries to be produced. The UK National Strategic Reference Framework, published in October 2006, sets out the Government’s priorities for the funds in accordance with the European regulations governing their operation. These address key drivers of productivity and environmental and community sustainability, with environmental sustainability and equality as cross-cutting themes.
Within this framework, operational programmes have been drawn up for each fund by the relevant managing authorities to address their specific priorities. The programmes are available on:
England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF):
Minimum Wage: Publicity
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budget for the Minimum Wage bus campaign is. [215494]
Mr. McFadden: The cost of the nine week national minimum wage outreach bus campaign was £249,000.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will list the (a) location and (b) date of each visit made by the Minimum Wage bus. [215495]
Mr. McFadden: The national minimum wage bus tour began on 9 January 2008 and ended on 9 March 2008. Locations visited during the nine week tour are as follows:
| Locations visited | |
Post Offices: Closures
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which post offices in each parliamentary constituency were originally proposed for closure under the network change programme but have since been decided will not be closed; and what the reason for keeping each open is. [216515]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Post Offices: Hinton St. George
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate Post Office Ltd. has made of the net annual saving to it which will arise from the closure of Hinton St. George Post Office; and if he will make a statement. [215967]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Regional Development Agencies: Tourism
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the (a) Yorkshire and Humberside (b) North West, (c) North East, (d) South East and (e) South West Regional Development Agency spent on tourism support in each of the last five years. [215405]
Mr. McFadden: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) on 25 June 2008, Official Report, column 330W.
Regional Planning and Development: Finance
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding (a) the Core Cities Group and (b) the Thames Gateway London Partnership will receive from the regional development agencies in 2008-09. [215068]
Mr. McFadden: The information is as follows.
(a) None of the regional development agencies will be providing funding to the Core Cities Group in 2008-09.
(b) The LDA is providing £100,000 of funding for the Thames Gateway London Partnership to stage a series of 2012 Games promotional and engagement events and activities in the 10 TGLP boroughs in 2008-09. This is part of a broader general offer made to sub regional partnerships to raise awareness of the broader benefits of the games to all of London’s diverse communities.
None of the other regional development agencies will be providing any funding to the Thames London Gateway Partnership in 2008-09.
Small Businesses
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of businesses are small businesses in (a) Cornwall, (b) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall, (c) the south-west and (d) England. [213799]
Mr. McFadden: At the start of 2007, there were 19,835 VAT-registered enterprises in Cornwall, of which 2,865 were in Falmouth and Camborne, 5,415 in North Cornwall, 3,900 in South East Cornwall, 3,765 in St. Ives, and 3,885 in Truro and St. Austell. In total there were 183,420 VAT-registered enterprises in the south-west region, and 1,670,500 in England. It is estimated that the majority (98 per cent.) of these will be small (0 to 49 employees).
Regional and national data are also available on a different basis, including estimates of businesses operating outside the VAT regime. At the start of 2005, there were 417,505 businesses in the south-west region and 99.4 per cent. (or 415,035) were small. There were a total of 3,775,015 businesses in England and 99.3 per cent. (3,747,150) were small.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses there were in (a) Cornwall, (b) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall, (c) the south-west and (d) England in each year since 1979. [213800]
Mr. McFadden: Data are available for Cornwall from 1994 onwards. In Cornwall, there were 18,360 VAT-registered enterprises in 1994, 18,040 in 1995, 17,625 in 1996, 17,545 in 1997, 17,785 in 1998, 17,905 in 1999, 18,045 in 2000, 18,220 in 2001, 18,410 in 2002, 18,695 in 2003, 19,010 in 2004, 19,195 in 2005, 19,435 in 2006 and 19,835 in 2007 (start of each year). Data for each parliamentary constituency covering the period 1994 to 2007 will be placed in the House of Commons Library. It is estimated that the majority (98 per cent.) of these VAT-registered enterprises will be small (fewer than 50 employees).
Regional and national data are available for 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005, including estimates of businesses operating outside the VAT regime. In south-west region, there were 368,955 small businesses in 1998, 358,330 in 1999, 346,700 in 2001, 377,360 in 2003, and 415,035 in 2005. In England, there were 3,151,795 small businesses in 1998, 3,188,125 in 1999, 3,235,155 in 2001, 3,450,675 in 2003, and 3,747,150 in 2005.
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