§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the impact of(a) his policies and (b) the work of his Department in helping small businesses in the past 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors the impact and the statistical results of such monitoring. [39151]
§ Mr. StreeterThe Government recognise the crucial role played by small firms in the UK economy and aim to help them by providing sound economic conditions— keeping inflation and interest rates low; reducing legislative, administrative and taxation burdens; and, where appropriate, providing direct assistance in the form of specialist advice and support and easing access to finance.
The Lord Chancellor's Department has a continuing programme to reduce the cost delay and complexity of civil litigation. This is of direct benefit to small firms. Measures undertaken in the past 12 months include an increase in the limit for automatic referral to the small claims procedure from £1,000 to £3,000; the publication of a plain English booklet to increase awareness of methods of resolving disputes without going to court; and a review to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the bailiff service, which should assist small firms in the enforcement of commercial debt. At present, statistical collection of data on court proceedings does not differentiate small firms from other classes of litigant.
The Department is a signatory to the CBI's prompt payment code. As previously measured, its payment record improved from 93.5 per cent. to 93.7 per cent. of invoices paid on time. It is now pursuing the new targets devised by the Prime Minister and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury in consultation with Departments following the "Your Business Matters" conferences.