AN EMPLOYERS’ group has criticised the government for failing to clear up confusion about the departure of the Small Business Commissioner Paul Uppal.
Uppal, 52, who stepped down as commissioner in October, has said he felt he had been forced out but was not sure why.
The Forum of Private Business said that it had received a “completely inadequate” response after requests to the business department for an explanation of why its Small Business commissioner left his role suddenly.
The post was created in 2016 to mediate in payment disputes on behalf of small companies and to promote fairer treatment of suppliers.
Ian Cass, managing director of the forum, said the government must explain the circumstances surrounding Uppal’s departure because the issue was “very important to our members and all the other small and micro businesses that Paul had worked so hard to understand, build trust with, support and help”.
Uppal left after concerns were expressed about his proposed involvement in a separate banking redress scheme being set up to help small companies.
Officials are understood to have told the former MP that his plans to agree to an unpaid, interim role in the business banking resolution service, which is backed by the government, was a potential conflict of interest.
But Uppal said the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy failed to explain how the advisory position, which he did not take up, represented a potential conflict. He questioned whether there was a “short-sighted” decision to push him out.
Cass wrote to Kelly Tolhurst, the smallbusiness minister, in November demanding an explanation. But Paula Lovitt, head of small business payments policy at the business department, said she was “unable to discuss this matter” because of a commitment to “treating people fairly and with consideration at all times”.
A permanent replacement for Uppal has yet to be found.
The business department has previously said the role “ended in line with departmental guidelines following a breach of the terms of his appointment”.
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