COLLAPSE OF HOUSEWORKS

Early day motion 141, tabled 12 July 2001 by Mark Tami (Labour). Signed by 38 members.

That this House expresses its concern at the collapse of Houseworks, the furniture and houshold products retail chain; notes that the company has left thousands of creditors, many of them on low incomes with little hope of receiving recompence through the receivers PriceWaterhouseCoopers; further notes that Houseworks' practice of demanding full payment well in advance of delivery, just prior to their collapse, throws into question their intention to supply the goods in the first place; calls for an investigation by the DTI into the circumstances of the company's collapse; and calls for measures to ensure that customers are protected from such sharp practices in future.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Labour/Co-operative 3, Liberal Democrat 2, Scottish National Party 1.