§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement as to her Department's inquiries into the(a) flotation and (b) collapse of Claims Direct. [41166]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Department has powers to conduct confidential inquiries into companies and these are exercised when there is good reason to do so in the public interest. The Department does not comment on the 459W affairs of companies that are or have been the subject of inquiries under the Companies Acts. However Claims Direct Plc issued a press notice on 23 July 2001 confirming that it was providing information to the DTI under Section 447 of the Companies Act 1985.
The Department does not know of any reason to suggest Claims Direct Plc has "collapsed".