New Businesses

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total amount of business start-up assistance was provided to (a) male applicants, (b) female applicants and (c) ethnic minority applicants in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000. (129705)

Information on applicants for business start-up assistance by gender and ethnic group is only available since April 2002 for those supported through the Northern Ireland Start a Business programme.

Table 1 provides information relating to offers made through the Start a Business programme by gender of applicant over the period April 2002 - March 2006.

*Table 1*
	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	Total
Female	511,750	671,000	1,026,750	696,900	2,906,400
Male	942,500	1,187,500	1,598,000	894,050	4,622,050
Total	1,454,250	1,858,500	2,624,750	1,590,950	7,528,450

Table 2 provides information relating to these offers by ethnic origin.

*Table 2*
	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	Total
White	1,441,750	1,838,750	2,593,750	1,510,950	7,385,200
Other ethnic groups and undisclosed	12,500	19,750	31,000	80,000	143,250
Total	1,454,250	1,858,500	2,624,750	1,590,950	7,528,450
Other ethnic groups include Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, Chinese, Indian, mixed ethnic groups, other ethnic groups and Pakistani.

Volume 459: debated on Tuesday 17 April 2007