Small Businesses: Late Payment

Lord Skelmersdale Excerpts

Thursday 11th June 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Neville-Rolfe]

My Lords, the noble Lord is right to refer to both construction and local authorities. As he will know, we have special regulations on construction. As regards local authorities, we have brought in a law that will require them to publish data on their performance from next year—the power of transparency. Again, that will help a lot to change the climate. Moreover, the construction example shows that where we have to take steps, we do. We have done that in the grocery and construction sectors; where there is clear evidence of abuse we are ready to act, because we want things to change.

[Lord Skelmersdale (Con)]

My Lords, so far the discussion has been on the exchange of money between businesses. However, in my experience as the director of a minuscule company, charities can be just as bad. Can my noble friend say what pressure should be put on charities?

[Baroness Neville-Rolfe]

My noble friend raises an excellent and new point for me, which I will take away and discuss with him.