I’ll sort out BHS pensions fiasco, promises Sir Philip

Sir Philip Green, the former owner of BHS, says he is determined to sort out the pension problems caused by the firm’s collapse and that he is “sad and very sorry” for the hardship caused, telling ITV News that he “did everything possible” to keep the business from going under.

Sir Philip’s ITV interview comes as parliament prepares to debate stripping him of his knighthood. He told Robert Peston: “I want to start with saying how sad and very, very, very sorry I am for all the hardship and sort of sadness caused to all the people who worked there, and all the pensioners.

“I hope and believe all the people that worked very closely with me at BHS for all those years, and some for the whole journey, will know it was never my intention for the business to have the ending it did.”

He said he was working with the pensions regulator to find a solution, but would not put a figure on the amount of financial support he might be prepared to give. “I can’t get into a conversation with you about any of the detail,” he said.

“The answer is, it will take what it takes to resolve it. We are in that discussion. There are some things outside of my knowledge… how it works, how the funds are deployed, how they’re invested. The whole thing just needs to come together.”