To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2009, Official Report, column 1659W, on local government: billing, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of local authorities which pay invoices within 10 days of receipt. (252596)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 242W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with the Local Government Association on the payment of supplier invoices within 10 days of receipt. (252605)

Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and I have discussed with the LGA how authorities could help support business by paying invoices more promptly. These discussions were in the context of wider discussions about the range of local responses authorities are putting in place to the current economic downturn.