The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question concerning how many people have been employed in the small business sector in (a) Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire in each year since 1997.
Table 1 shows the number of employees within the size-band 0-49 employees from 1998 to 2007. Figures for 1997 are not available.
Period Tamworth constituency Staffordshire 1998 19,100 151,800 1999 17,900 146,000 2000 18,900 155,500 2001 18,400 152,900 2002 19,400 158,600 2003 19,500 157,100 2004 19,500 158,100 2005 19,400 156,800 2006 19,400 157,300 2007 19,400 157,000 Note: Estimates for 2005 and earlier periods are on a different basis to those from 2006 onwards. A preliminary assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests that the estimated total number of employees (for GB at the whole economy level) was reduced by around 1 per cent. Direct comparisons of employee estimates should therefore be treated with caution. Source: Annual Business Inquiry.