Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the barriers faced by small businesses in using the tribunal system to recover late payments.

We have not made an assessment of the barriers faced by small business using the courts and tribunal system to recover late payment.

DBT has launched a consultation on late payment which includes proposals to provide the Small Business Commissioner with powers to arbitrate disputes between small and large businesses with the intention of reducing financial and procedural burdens to resolve payment disputes. A final impact assessment will be published before these proposed measures are taken forward in primary legislation.