Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of zombie companies on national productivity; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry, Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise: Zombie companies are companies that are allowed by banks to delay repayment of a loan so that they effectively only pay the interest due rather than the full loan amount. Bank of England analysis of this ‘loan forbearance’ suggests that only a relatively small proportion of small businesses are in receipt of any form of forbearance (around 6% of SME borrowers in 2013). The Bank concludes that forbearance by banks on loans to small businesses would therefore appear to account for only a small proportion of the weakness in aggregate UK productivity. The Bank’s analysis was published in the Bank’s quarterly bulletin which can be found on the Bank of England’s website.

| Hansard

7261