It is now more than two years since the government started looking at reforming the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) legislation, better known as TUPE.

Although I understand that the Department of Trade and Industry hopes that the draft regulations may be made public in February and may come into force in October, the previous history of delays on this matter makes me seriously concerned that a solution may still be far too far in the future.

This firm would like to see a speedy resolution to the TUPE reforms.

We find that around one- third of the businesses we try to rescue through an insolvency procedure ends up closing down altogether because the potential buyers are frightened off by the prospective employee liabilities they face as a result of the way TUPE currently works.

Sadly, this means that many thousands of jobs are being lost when there is the chance that they could be saved if the government reformed the application of TUPE to insolvent businesses.

Isn't it time the government took action now?

Nick Hood, Begbies Traynor Corporate Recovery, London