Commercial Payments
Changes have been proposed and voted on. Next comes the final vote in this House.
This bill would tackle late payments to small businesses. It would set stricter maximum payment times, ban withheld "retention" payments in construction contracts, and give the Small Business Commissioner stronger powers.
Summary drafted by AI, checked by Jonathan on 4 Oct 2026. Source: Parliament Library briefing.
Official title: Commercial Payments Bill [HL]
- 1Introduced1st reading
- 2Main debate2nd reading
- 3Detailed checksCommittee
- 4ChangesReport stage
- 5Final vote3rd reading
- 6Other houseLords or Commons
- 7Becomes lawRoyal Assent
Next sitting: 20 Oct 2026 (3rd reading in the Lords).
Put forward by Lord Leong.
Votes so far
No Commons votes on this bill in the last 12 months.
Full timeline
| Date | Stage | House |
|---|---|---|
| 19 May 2026 | 1st reading | Lords |
| 9 Jun 2026 | 2nd reading | Lords |
| 21 Jul 2026 | Committee stage | Lords |
| 15 Sep 2026 | Report stage | Lords |
| 20 Oct 2026 | 3rd reading | Lords |
In the bill’s own words: A bill to make provision about payment terms in commercial contracts; to make provision about interest on late payment of commercial debts; to ban retention clauses in the construction sector; to expand the powers of the Small Business Commissioner in relation to payment disputes and poor payment practices; to amend the Enterprise Act 2016 in connection with other functions of the Small Business Commissioner; and for connected purposes.
Source: Parliament Bills API · Commons votes from the Commons Votes API.