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Late Payment

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the amount of interest that has been paid (a) in total and (b) to SMEs as a result of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. [36566]

Nigel Griffiths: The Department does not hold this information, because there is no requirement for businesses to report such amounts to the Department.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. [36565]

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Nigel Griffiths: This Act is part of a package of measures that the Government have put in place to change the late payment culture here. The Credit Management Research Centre (CMRC) based at Leeds University has been monitoring late payment activity in England since 1998.

The CMRC reports show that there has been a fall of almost 7.5 per cent. in the percentage of payments that are reported as being late by the businesses that they survey. This fall relates to the period between their first survey and the survey for the quarter ending June 2001. During the same period the number of debtor days for small businesses has fallen by almost 24 per cent. and the mean number of debtor days for all businesses has fallen by almost 20 per cent.

Finally, the "European Business Survey" for 2001, produced by the accountants Grant Thornton, shows the UK as having a payment period almost a week (five days) shorter than the EU average (52 days).

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she plans to introduce further measures to prevent delays in paying commercial debts. [36564]

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Nigel Griffiths: We are currently working to give businesses two significant new entitlements; the right to claim reasonable debt-recovery costs without having to go to court; and the ability for grossly unfair terms and conditions that work against the intent of the late payment legislation to be challenged and their continued use prevented.

The changes will come into effect from 8 August 2002, and from that date the late payment legislation will be available to all businesses and organisations irrespective of their size. Currently only small businesses can use the legislation, although previously this right was to have been extended to all business and organisations from 1 November 2002.

Employee Statistics

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many enterprises there were with (a) fewer than 50, (b) between 50 and 249, (c) between 250 and 499 and (d) over 500 employees in each nation and region of the UK in each of the last five years; and what the percentage annual change was in each category and for each year. [37565]

Nigel Griffiths: Regional data on the number of businesses are available for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Businesses (number) Annual change (percentage)
Size (number of employees)199719981999199719981999
North East
0–4995,99098,00590,160(8)2.1-8.0
50–249925905885(8)-2.2-2.2
250–499 130120110(8)-7.7-8.3
500 plus105110100(8)4.8-9.1
North West
0–49380,325352,620352,740(8)-7.30.0
50–2492,9352,8452,730(8)-3.1-4.0
250–499 380360330(8)-5.3-8.3
500 plus355365375(8)2.82.7
Yorkshire and the Humber
0–49288,650267,275256,590(8)-7.4-4.0
50–2492,4102,1202,075(8)-12.0-2.1
250–499 290280265(8)-3.4-5.4
500 plus315285300(8)-9.55.3
East Midlands
0–49237,795226,685232,540(8)-4.72.6
50–2492,0802,0101,895(8)-3.4-5.7
250–499 240235240(8)-2.12.1
500 plus245265250(8)8.2-5.7
West Midlands
0–49303,580283,865285,775(8)-6.50.7
50–2492,5152,4652,305(8)-2.0-6.5
250–499 325330310(8)1.5-6.1
500 plus340335330(8)-1.5-1.5
East of England
0–49376,025376,250349,390(8)0.1-7.1
50–2492,3102,3002,205(8)-0.4-4.1
250–499 310305280(8)-1.6-8.2
500 plus320310325(8)-3.14.8
London
0–49562,500563,145660,990(8)0.117.4
50–2493,8003,7053,465(8)-2.5-6.5
250–499 605590565(8)-2.5-4.2
500 plus730720710(8)-1.4-1.4
South East
0–49608,445614,995601,610(8)1.1-2.2
50–2493,6853,5803,375(8)-2.8-5.7
250–499 485500475(8)3.1-5.0
500 plus545555540(8)1.8-2.7
South West
0–49361,220368,955358,330(8)2.1-2.9
50–2491,8801,8351,745(8)-2.4-4.9
250–499 220240240(8)9.10.0
500 plus215225215(8)4.7-4.4
England
0–493,214,5303,151,7953,188,125(8)-2.01.2
50–24922,54021,75020,680(8)-3.5-4.9
250–4992,9852,9552,810(8)-1.0-4.9
500 plus3,1703,1753,140(8)0.2-1.1
Wales
0–49156,980152,225143,080(8)-3.0-6.0
50–249910890845(8)-2.2-5.1
250–499125125115(8)0.0-8.0
500 plus909595(8)5.60.0
Scotland
0–49241,480244,595231,040(8)1.3-5.5
50–2492,0202,0051,935(8)-0.7-3.5
250–499240235220(8)-2.1-6.4
500 plus255260240(8)2.0-7.7
Northern Ireland
0–4983,73082,47083,785(8)-1.51.6
50–249700760720(8)8.6-5.3
250–499608075(8)33.3-6.3
500 plus454540(8)0.0-11.1

(8) Not available

Source:

SME statistics for the UK 1997, 1998 and 1999


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Exports

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate for each of the last five years and provide forecasts where available for the next two years, the value of exported goods by nation and region of the UK and for the UK in total. [37568]

Nigel Griffiths: Statistics on UK trade in goods, analysed by nation and region of the UK, are available from 1999 onwards only. The available information is given in the table:

Value of Exports
£ million

Region19992000
Eastern15,51118,497
East Midlands10,13410,484
London20,55323,668
North East5,6686,797
North West10,72212,574
South East23,86527,717
South West8,1689,623
West Midlands12,17012,857
Yorkshire and the Humber7,6348,714
England114,425130,931
Northern Ireland2,7313,315
Scotland15,64918,221
Wales5,9186,416
Total138,723158,883

Source:

HM Customs and Excise News Release 01–2002, 17 January 2002


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The Department does not make forecasts for regional exports.


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