Private Sector Payment Performance League Tables

The Government introduced the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act in 1998 in an effort to beat what it termed "Britain's business culture of late payment". To coincide with the launching of the legislation - which for the first time enshrined in law the right of a business to claim interest on invoices which were beyond agreed credit terms - the DTI decided to publish a set of tables giving details of the payment records of the country's largest firms.

The legislation was designed to protect the nation's small businesses, who are often at the mercy of large customers when it comes to getting paid. To this end, the DTI asked the Federation of Small Businesses to work with Dun & Bradstreet to create the first set of published tables in 1999. CPL was chosen to design and print the first edition of what became formally known as the Private Sector Payment Performance League Tables, and continued to do so until it was decided to publish the Tables on the internet only.

Click on the thumbnail to see a larger version. For further information on the issue of late payment, visit the website below.