Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 28 December 2015 to Question 19725, if, when considering complaints on breaches of the Trading Schemes Act 1996, his Department will take into account the contents of franchisees' contracts on the terms of trade and the relationship between the franchisee, master franchisor in the UK and overseas franchisor in order to determine (a) the number of master franchisors in the UK of an overseas based franchisor and (b) if the trading scheme was subject to the Trading Schemes Regulations, whether its contracts complied with those regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Further to the answer given on 28 December to question UIN 19725, the Department, or any authority investigating, would take into account all the relevant circumstances and the applicability of relevant legislation, before deciding whether to pursue a case.