Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) businesses have used the Small Business Commissioner's website to resolve late payment disputes, (b) late payment cases have been resolved and (c) large companies have changed their payment practices as a result of the intervention of the Commissioner.
Nine enquiries of late payment disputes have been processed by the Small Business Commissioner’s complaints scheme. Of these, eight have resulted in the recovery of later payments with the other being resolved by private negotiation. The Commissioner is championing changes to the payment culture in a number of different ways, including raising awareness as well as seeking to resolve complaints received. For example, two large businesses have stated they will change their payment practice to offer SMEs preferential terms following the SBC’s direct intervention.