Sir Philip Green has hit back at Work and Pensions Committee chairman Frank Filed for “untrue and totally inaccurate” comments as he confirmed he is working to resolve the BHS pension crisis on a “daily basis”.

In July this year, the Work and Pensions Committee published a report that concluded Green had a “moral duty” to make a large financial contribution to the pension scheme, which is estimated to have a £571m deficit.

Green said it was “necessary” for him to issue a statement due to the “continued press coverage” and “various statements from Frank Field MP”. Green stated that Field has accused him of a “lack of willingness” on Green’s part to reach a settlement for the pension scheme.

“This is untrue, totally inaccurate and unhelpful in solving this issue,” he added. He said that he would like to “apologise sincerely” to all the BHS people involved in “this sorry affair”.

Green and Field have been in a long running dispute over the BHS collapse and its pension scheme since the Committee began its inquiry. Green has previously called for “biased” Field to resign as chairman as he is “destroying his reputation”.

“Contrary to all the coverage I have been working on this issue on a daily basis, and will continue to do so with my best efforts to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all involved as soon as possible,” he added.

“I, together with my executives, have been co-operating with The Pensions Regulator for some 17 to 18 months providing whatever has been requested, on a very regular basis. As Lesley Titcomb, chief executive of The Pensions Regulator, stated at the Work and Pensions Select Committee hearing, they had already received more than 70,000 documents in May and there has continued to be a flow since then.

“I stated at the hearing that it was my intention to try to find a solution, which is a voluntary one, to the BHS Pensions and that is still my aim. Since before the company was sold in March 2015, it was always our intention to find a plan for the BHS Pensioners that was better than the Pension Protection Fund and that remains the case today. There is also a dialogue with the PPF and Mr Chris Martin the chairman of the trustees to ensure all parties are engaged in the process.”

“There have also been suggestions in the press that I have tried to pressurise the Regulator, or, as was stated on the front page of one newspaper, ‘blackmail’ it. This is wholly untrue. I am not in control of the process. I am following the process which has been set down by the regulator. Pensions are extremely complex issues, especially when there are more than 20,000 members involved."

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