Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department plans to take to strengthen the framework for holding large corporations accountable in their support for small businesses.

In September 2024 we announced a package of measures to help ensure small businesses are paid promptly by the large businesses they supply.

This included launching a new Fair Payment Code and a commitment to including payment performance information in large companies’ annual reports.

In the spring we will launch a public consultation on further measures to address late payments, including new powers for the Small Business Commissioner to tackle large businesses who pay late.