Company chiefs failing to pay national insurance for employees could have personal assets frozen

Company chiefs who fail to pay national insurance contributions for their employees could have their personal assets frozen under new powers announced yesterday by the Secretary of State for Social Security, Peter Lilley.

The measures are aimed at helping to recover money which would otherwise be lost to the Government when businesses go under. Mr Lilley said he wanted particularly to target the "unscrupulous activities of a few individuals who deliberately run a business into insolvency leaving large debts behind". The changes aim to provide a quick and effective method of preventing assets from being removed from the jurisdiction of the court and then satisfying the civil debt in the criminal proceedings.