Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of debt recovery practices used by private firms in relation to unpaid fuel transactions, including the imposition of administration fees and the use of national databases restricting access to services.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has not made a specific assessment of the merits of private debt recovery practices for fuel transactions. However, the Government expects all firms to treat individuals in debt fairly and to act in a responsible manner. Under general commercial law, businesses may claim reasonable debt recovery costs and interest on late payments. The specific imposition of administration fees by private firms in fuel recovery is a commercial matter, though such fees must remain transparent and proportionate to the costs incurred.

The Government remains committed to improving debt collection practices across all sectors and will continue to monitor the impact of these practices on consumers and businesses.