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22 Feb 2010 : Column 282W—continued
Bankruptcy: Sussex
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bankruptcies of (a) individuals in each age group resident in and (b) businesses based in (i) Lewes constituency and (ii) East Sussex there were in each of the last five years. [317029]
Ian Lucas: Figures for bankrupts in East Sussex and Lewes constituency by age group for the last five years are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.
| Table 1: Bankruptcies in Lewes( 1) | |||||||
| Age group( 2) | |||||||
| Under 25 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | Unknown | |
| (1) Where bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (from 94.5 per cent. in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008). (2) Where bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (from 92.3 per cent. in 2004 to 93.4 per cent. in 2008). | |||||||
| Table 2: Bankruptcies in East Sussex( 1) | |||||||
| Age group - | |||||||
| Under 25 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | Unknown | |
| (1 )Where bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (from 94.5 per cent. in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008) (2) Where bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (from 92.3 per cent. in 2004 to 93.4 per cent. in 2008). | |||||||
Self-employed traders may be declared bankrupt (or enter into an individual voluntary arrangement [IVA]), however, registered companies are the subject of liquidation (compulsory liquidation or creditors voluntary liquidation (CVL)).
Table 3 shows the number of self employed traders who were declared bankrupt in each of the last five years.
| Table 3: Bankruptcies amongst sole traders in Lewes and East Sussex | ||
| Area( 1) | ||
| Year( 2) | Lewes | East Sussex |
| (1) Where bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (from 94.5 per cent. in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008). (2) Figures from October 2006 are compiled on a different basis and are not comparable to earlier figures. | ||
Regional figures for 2009 are not currently available for bankruptcies, as they are compiled on an annual basis. They should be available later in 2010.
Statistics covering corporate insolvencies, including liquidation, are not currently available at a sub-national level within England and Wales.
Business: Government Assistance
David Mundell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications (a) in total and (b) from businesses registered in Scotland for loans under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme have been (i) made and (ii) granted. [315310]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, as of 27 January 2010, over £1.13 billion of eligible applications from over 10,000 businesses have been granted, are being processed or assessed. Of these, 7,792 businesses have been offered loans totalling £794.71 million.
In Scotland, £86.92 million of eligible applications from 686 businesses have been granted, are being processed or assessed. Of these, 544 businesses have been offered loans totalling £70.69 million.
Businesses may apply for a loan from any of the participating lenders who will assess which form of lending, including the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, is most appropriate. We do not hold figures for those businesses which are instead offered a normal commercial loan, or are rejected for failing to meet the lenders' normal commercial criteria.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department and its predecessors have taken to support small businesses in Hemsworth since 1997. [316613]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Since 1997 the Government have implemented a wide range of measures to support business, including small and medium-sized businesses. Statistical information on these measures is not available at constituency level. Statistical information has been provided at the Wakefield local authority level where available. The principal measures are as follows.
In 1998, the Government set up the Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, to deliver a joined-up approach to economic development in the region. In support of its objective of promoting business efficiency, investment and competitiveness Yorkshire Forward has provided grants for businesses through the Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) scheme, which started in April 2004, and its successor the Grants for Business Investment (GBI) scheme, which started in October 2008. Yorkshire Forward has made 27 SFI and GBI grant offers to businesses in Wakefield totalling £3.2 million, creating or safeguarding 355 jobs. Yorkshire Forward has also provided grants to support research and development by small and medium sized businesses, through the SMART scheme and its successor, the Grants for Research and Development scheme. Since 2000, Yorkshire Forward has offered 25 research and development grants totalling £1.5 million to small and medium sized businesses in Wakefield.
Since 2004, Business Link Yorkshire has been the single contact point for all publicly funded support available to businesses in Yorkshire and The Humber. This has made it easier for businesses to access information, advice and support on issues including business regulation, best practice, marketing, innovation, financial support and help with exporting. For example in 2009/10 to date, Business Link Yorkshire has helped 2,578 businesses in the Wakefield area and 913 individuals thinking of starting a business. As part of the Government's Real Help Now package we are providing more help for businesses to survive during the current economic conditions. Since October 2008 this has included a free Business Link health check which can be a useful starting point for identifying further business support tailored to the needs of individual companies. To date Business Link Yorkshire has arranged 548 health checks for small and medium sized businesses in Wakefield. In addition, the Yorkshire Forward funded Financial Health Check, which offers a grant of £2,000 for accountants to carry out a full review, has benefited 63 businesses in Wakefield.
Small and medium sized manufacturing businesses in Wakefield can also benefit from the Yorkshire and Humber Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), which was set up by BERR in 2002 to provide practical hands-on support to business in all aspects of manufacturing. In 2009 the Yorkshire and Humber MAS carried out over 1,000 manufacturing reviews and over 340 improvement projects, creating or safeguarding over 3,100 jobs, with an estimated total potential increase in GVA of £30.3 million. Figures at local level are not available.
Under the European Regional Development Funded Objective 2 programme between 2000 and 2008 over £93 million was provided to support small and medium enterprises in the Objective 2 areas in Yorkshire and the Humber, which included Wakefield. Figures at local level are not available.
Details of the wide range of Government funded support for business available are on the Real Help Now website
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the criteria are for the award of a loan to a company under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme. [316783]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are three main criteria for a business being offered an EFG loan application:
The business meeting the lender's normal commercial criteria in relation to the viability of the business and serviceability of the loan. This judgment will vary according to the lender concerned.
The lender determining that use of EFG, rather than a normal commercial loan, is necessary because of no or insufficient security available on the part of the business.
The business meeting the basic EFG eligibility criteria
Each lender has access to the EFG web portal through which they administer the EFG eligibility criteria. The main EFG eligibility criteria, with respect to the size of loan, purpose of loan, turnover size, business sector etc, is detailed on the BIS website:
Business: Snow and Ice
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to business in (a) Chorley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK of the adverse weather conditions of December 2009 and January 2010. [314221]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are no official estimates at this early stage of local, regional or national cost to business as a result of the adverse weather but there are indications that some businesses lost trade due to customers being unable to travel or lost output due to staff being unable to attend work. We will continue to monitor the situation and estimates as these become available.
Cerebrospinal: Multiple Sclerosis
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will (a) commission and (b) evaluate research into the relationship between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis. [317013]
Mr. Lammy: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The MRC spent £3.4 million on research into multiple sclerosis in 2008-09, but is not currently funding any research specifically into chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI).
The MRC provides funding for research through a range of grants and personal awards to scientists in universities, medical schools and other research institutes but does not normally commission research to address specific questions.
Applications are generally submitted by the scientific community in 'response mode' and the MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health. The primary considerations in funding decisions are research excellence and importance to health; however, high quality proposals in areas of particular strategic importance may be given priority in competition for funds.
The MRC provides opportunities for additional clinical research training fellowships through collaborations with Royal Colleges and charity funders including the MRC/Multiple Sclerosis Society Clinical Research Training Fellowships. One fellowship per year is available under this scheme, aimed at researchers who are involved in treating patients and who wish to pursue research into understanding and treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Details of MRC's currently funded research can be found in the MRC research portfolio which is accessible on the MRC website at:
Companies: Birmingham
Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many mergers of companies have taken place in Birmingham in each of the last three years. [312775]
Kevin Brennan: Information relating to mergers is not collected at this level of detail. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for collecting information involving mergers and acquisitions by UK companies abroad and in the UK, and mergers and acquisitions by foreign companies in the UK. The ONS publishes a quarterly statistical bulletin and a Tri-annual Mini review of mergers and acquisitions.
Its latest Quarterly Bulletin (3rd Quarter 2009) can be found at the following link:
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