§ Mr. Paddy Ashdownasked the Paymaster General if (a) legislation or (b) a code of practice will be introduced in the next Session to facilitate the speedier payment of accounts by large concerns to small firms; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierThere are no plans for introducing legislation or a code of practice on this subject in the coming Session. I am currently discussing with a number of industry representative organisations the possibility of promoting good payment practices by means of cooperation between firms rather than by coercion. We expect to produce practical guidance on the subject for both customers and suppliers.
At this stage I do not consider a statement to be necessary.