asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the numbers of self-employed persons and also of persons employed by unquoted companies, partnerships and sole traders, including farming, at the latest available date.

The latest available information is for 1975, based on the EEC labour force survey for that year, and shows that there were 1,825,000 self-employed people, with or without employees in Great Britain. Estimates based on the 1977 survey will be available during this year and I shall write to the hon. Member.Estimates of the numbers employed by unquoted companies, partnerships and sole traders are not available.