The third round of hearings from 21 May will focus on lending to small businesses.

The topics to be covered are:

• Responsible lending to small businesses;
• Approach of banks to enforcement, management and monitoring of loans to businesses;
• Product and account administration;
• Extension of unfair contract terms legislation to small business contracts;
• The Code of Banking Practice.

The Royal Commission has published Background paper 10 – Credit for small business – An overview of Australian law regulating small business loans and Treasury’s Background paper 11 – Reforms to Small Business Lending.

Background Paper 12 deals with Financial services and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.