Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Courts Excerpts

Tuesday 9th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Question 22 will probably not be reached. If the hon. Member for Witney (Robert Courts) were standing, I would call him, but he is not, so I will not—

[Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

But he does, so I shall—Mr Robert Courts.

[Robert Courts]

22. Mr Speaker, thank you very much. The scourge of late payments is a major problem for small businesses, as I know from my many small businesses in Witney, as a member of the Federation of Small Businesses and as the chairman of the all-party group on small and micro business. Is it not about time that we started celebrating those companies that support the small business supply chain by paying on time?

[John Glen]

My hon. Friend makes a very fair point. That is why the Chancellor announced at the spring statement that we will require company audit committees to review payment practices and report on them in their annual accounts. This is part of a range of measures that the Government will be setting out shortly when we make a full response after the call for evidence.