§ 34. Mr. Skinnerasked the Minister for Overseas Development when he now expects the Fay Committee on the Crown Agents to complete its report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PrenticeI have nothing to add to my reply to my hon. Friend on 25th October, when I said that I expected the committee to report in the first part of next year.
§ Mr. SkinnerBefore that report is given to the House, would my right hon. Friend care to comment on the fact that the Crown Agents, as one of the creditors of the Stern property empire, seemingly agreed to the proposal put forward by Kenneth Cork, of Cork, Gully & Co., that William Stern, the head of that property empire, should be allowed to escape bankruptcy and live on £20,000 a year? As one of the creditors, surely the Crown Agents, who are now being bailed out by 473 the British taxpayer, should come clean on this matter and establish once and for all what their rôle was among the 31 other creditors at that vital meeting?
§ Mr. PrenticeNo, Sir; I do not agree with my hon. Friend at all. I repeat what I have said in previous exchanges on this matter—that the Crown Agents are doing a first-class job in their traditional rôle in which I believe they have the support of the whole House. In so far as there were unfortunate developments a year or two ago, those are being examined by the Fay Committee, and it would be wrong for me to prejudge the committee's findings.