AQW 18308/17-22


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 04/05/2021
Answered On Date: 29/07/2021
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the number of businesses that have filed for insolvency in each of the past five years, broken down by constituency area.


Answer:
The number of sole trader business bankruptcies and winding up orders, for limited companies, for the previous five financial years, is detailed in the table below, broken down by constituency.
 
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/2020
2020/21
Constituency
Sole Trader
Winding Up Orders
Sole Trader
Winding Up Orders
Sole Trader
Winding Up Orders
Sole Trader
Winding Up Orders
Sole Trader
Winding Up Orders
Belfast East
14
18
18
7
7
4
12
12
0
1
Belfast North
16
19
30
11
15
8
14
16
0
2
Belfast South
27
32
16
22
16
44
20
26
0
1
Belfast West
21
9
6
5
14
8
20
12
0
1
East Antrim
27
7
12
4
16
7
18
8
0
0
East Londonderry
28
18
32
4
27
11
19
15
0
0
Fermanagh & South Tyrone
18
16
36
12
18
12
38
15
0
0
Foyle
21
13
16
8
24
9
20
9
0
0
Lagan Valley
30
13
21
7
11
9
19
17
0
0
Mid Ulster
25
15
40
6
19
2
22
8
0
0
Newry & Armagh
35
27
42
17
29
15
36
17
0
0
North Antrim
22
4
32
4
24
5
16
7
0
0
North Down
25
13
26
13
13
9
12
10
0
0
South Antrim
29
15
32
2
13
6
14
13
1
0
South Down
32
10
31
6
28
11
19
7
0
0
Strangford
21
7
23
7
19
6
13
11
0
0
Upper Bann
25
19
27
9
34
12
14
13
0
0
West Tyrone
26
13
34
11
18
8
19
13
0
0
Outside NI
2*
1**
 
 
 
 
Total
442
268
476
156
345
186
345
229
1
5
*The High Court was satisfied that the bankrupts’ centre of main business interest was in Northern Ireland.
**This winding up order was rescinded and subsequently made in the correct jurisdiction.
The low number of insolvency cases in 2020/21 was a result of two main circumstances arising from the pandemic. Firstly, the High Court was unable to operate at normal capacity as a result of COVID restrictions which significantly reduced the number of bankruptcy and winding-up orders that it could consider.
Secondly, my Department introduced both permanent and temporary measures to provide assistance and support to companies and mutual societies during the crisis within the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020.
This Act temporarily prevents statutory demands, served from 1 March 2020, from forming the basis of a winding-up petition. In addition, it prohibits a winding-up petition being presented against a company where the debt was due to circumstances arising from the pandemic.
These temporary provisions will be in place until 30 September 2021.