Business, Innovation and Skills

Tuesday 18th June 2013 Ministerial Corrections

High Street Businesses

The following is the answer given by the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon), to a question from the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) during Business, Innovation and Skills Question Time on 13 June 2013.

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

In my constituency, a number of businesses in the high street have unfortunately closed. If they go into liquidation, their employees receive pay arrears, holiday pay and notice pay, if necessary from the national insurance fund. If the business just ceases trading and is eventually struck off, its employees do not get pay arrears, holiday pay or notice pay. Will the Minister meet me to discuss that anomaly in the law?

[Michael Fallon]

I would be happy to do so, but I hope my hon. Friend will not be too gloomy about the state of the high street. He will know that, in the most recent year for which we have figures, some 22,900 store-based retailers opened and 21,000 closed—more stores were set up than were closed.

[Official Report, 13 June 2013, Vol. 564, c. 479.]

Letter of correction from Michael Fallon:

An error has been identified in the oral answer given to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) on 13 June 2013.

The correct answer should have been:

[Michael Fallon]

I would be happy to do so, but I hope my hon. Friend will not be too gloomy about the state of the retail sector. He will know that, in the most recent year for which we have figures, some 22,900 store based and non-store based retailers opened and 21,000 closed—more retailers were set up than were closed.