Following the 54% increase in the energy price cap announced by Ofgem on 3 February, and with many predicting that a second substantial increase may be required this October to keep pace with wholesale prices, what is next for beleaguered small energy suppliers?

Part 1 of this article considered some of the checks and balances that apply when seeking access to one of the law’s most potent weapons, including the tests the applicant must satisfy, and exceptions that are commonly included in the order made by the court (see ‘Freezing orders: policing the nuclear option (Pt 1)’, NLJ, 7 & 14 January 2022, p15).

Despite calls upon the government to intervene and, later, attempts to sell the business, the South West construction firm Midas has collapsed into administration this week.

The collapse of the business has led to over 300 redundancies, though it is understood that a section of the business (Mi-Space) has been sold, saving over 50 jobs. Concerns have also been raised about the knock-on effort on sub-contractors and connected businesses, many of whom have been left out of pocket through unfulfilled contracts and unpaid invoices.

When the availability of bounceback loans was announced, it was heralded as the way for small businesses to quickly and easily access loans of between £2,000 and £50,000 during the COVID pandemic. Undoubtedly, it has helped a significant number of small businesses to weather the storm that COVID brought on many.

The Insolvency Service published its latest company insolvency statistics at the end of January, reporting both on Q4 2021 as well as 2021 as a whole.

The statistics can be accessed here and we highlight some of the key takeaways below.

1. Q4 2021 Company insolvency statistics

Throughout the pandemic, a steady stream of government support was made available to prop-up businesses. As we move towards a New Normal, those support packages are being scaled-back. Many businesses are still recovering from the shock of the last 18 months and, with high levels of historic debt as an additional burden, are not yet back to full financial health.

The judgment in the much-publicised case of Akhmedovav Akhmedov & Ors[i] in April 2021 is a telling example of where the English Courts have exercised wide-reaching statutory powers to set aside or vary dispositions on trust with extra-territorial effect, notwithstanding the assets are held by offshore trustees, outside the Court’s j

The FCA has issued proposed guidance on its approach to compromises by regulated firms, which will have the effect of putting consumer outcomes front and centre for any firm proposing a compromise with retail customers. With a particular focus on schemes (or other compromises) relating to redress liabilities - for instance in relation to mis-selling claims - the guidance inevitably recalls many of the aspects of the ill-conceived scheme proposed by Amigo Loans last year, which the High Court ultimately refused to sanction.

Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League was in court last week being pursued by the many people he owes money to. This has increased scrutiny on whether he genuinely disposed of assets in his timely divorce from Jenna Lennon.

In Re AFM (1932) Ltd (in liquidation) [2021] EWHC 3460 (Ch) the court confirmed that where an applicant is already contractually entitled – as against another party - to be reimbursed, together with interest, by that other party in an amount equivalent to the value transferred by that applicant under a related transaction, there cannot be a transaction at an undervalue pursuant to section 238 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Facts