The Government recognises that late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK and is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts. This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the private sector.<\/p>
The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 legislated for a new reporting requirement on the UK\u2019s largest companies and Regulations which will be introduced this year. This will compel larger companies to report on payment practices and performance. This information will be published on a six-monthly basis and will be made publicly available.<\/p>
Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to give general advice and to help small businesses resolve disputes relating to payment matters with larger businesses.<\/p>
Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK\u2019s payment culture.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anna Soubry"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-07T11:48:59.437Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Billing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that companies with more than 250 employees pay their suppliers in a timely manner.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4006", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hendon"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Matthew Offord"} ], "uin" : "29433"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456925", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456925/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Wales jointly hosted a roundtable in August to discussthese potential benefits. Ministerial and official engagement continues across Departments to capitalise on the opportunities for North Wales from the Northern Powerhouse.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anna Soubry"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-07T10:44:15.467Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Regional Planning and Development"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions (a) he and (b) ministers of his Department have had with their Welsh Government counterparts on the potential benefits to North Wales of the Northern Powerhouse.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1502", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr David Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Clwyd West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr David Jones"}
], "uin" : "29579"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456938", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456938/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1556", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading East"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Rob Wilson"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456938/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "Combined 29449, 29450 FINAL.pdf"}
, "title" : "UKSA Letter to Member - Death from Athma/Pregnancy"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-07T08:54:25.13Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asthma: Death"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many children in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England and Wales died from asthma in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4458", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Conor McGinn"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "St Helens North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Conor McGinn"}
], "uin" : "29449"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456963", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456963/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Public Lending Right legislation was revised to extend the PLR scheme to include on-site lending of audio and e-books on 1 July 2014. My Department and the Libraries Taskforce are working closely with the Public Lending Right office and representative groups for libraries, publishers and authors to improve the availability of remote e-lending and to consider options to appropriately remunerate authors and other rights holders. These have been productive discussions and I look forward to progress continuing.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-07T12:00:20.973Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Lending Right"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made in extending the Public Lending Right scheme to e-lending (a) in local libraries and (b) at home.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1409", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Londonderry"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Gregory Campbell"}
], "uin" : "29377"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456965", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456965/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Within the legislative framework set out by Government, it is for the BBC Executive Board to manage licence fee collection. Under the terms of the 2006 Royal Charter the BBC Trust is required to ensure that the arrangements for the collection of the licence fee by the BBC Executive are efficient, appropriate and proportionate. In order to fulfil this function, the Trust has committed to regularly review the BBC Executive\u2019s licence fee collection strategy, as part of the BBC\u2019s annual report and accounts.<\/p> Data on the number of smart electricity and gas meters installed in Great Britain is set out in the Government\u2019s \u2018Smart Meters, Great Britain, Quarterly report to end September 2015\u2019, published on 22 December 2015:<\/p> <\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistical-release-and-data-smart-meters-great-britain-quarter-3-2015<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> The roll-out is making good progress with more than 2 million meters now operating under the Programme which covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland is undertaking a separate roll-out programme.<\/p> <\/p> Currently, data is published only at Great Britain level. Data is not collected from energy suppliers in a way that allows constituency or regional-level data to be produced.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-07T11:13:04.453Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "63"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Energy and Climate Change"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Energy and Climate Change"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Energy: Meters"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many smart (a) electric and (b) gas meters have been installed in (i) St Helens North constituency, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the UK since the smart meter programme was implemented.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4458", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Conor McGinn"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "St Helens North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Conor McGinn"}
], "uin" : "29447"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/457102", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/457102/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.<\/p> <\/p>
Last year an independent review led by David Perry QC examined the current methods of enforcement, and we are considering the review\u2019s recommendations as part of the ongoing Charter Review.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-07T11:34:58.433Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Television Licences: Enforcement"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his Department gives to TV Licensing on how it deals with people who do not own a television.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1442", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Alistair Carmichael"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Orkney and Shetland"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Alistair Carmichael"}
], "uin" : "29430"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/457017", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Energy and Climate Change"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/457017/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "