§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to ensure that the Accounting Standards Board is not dominated by the professional associations in accountancy; and whether he proposes to refer this matter to the Office of Fair Trading.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to ensure that the 63W employing organisations of members of the Accounting Standards Board do not exercise influence over its proceedings; and whether he proposes to refer this matter to the Office of Fair Trading.
§ Mr. RedwoodNone. These are matters which the Financial Reporting Council and the proposed Accounting Standards Board will not doubt consider. At this stage, therefore, no question of reference to the Director General of Fair Trading arises.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he proposes to seek views on the membership of the Accounting Standards Board from(a) the Equal Opportunities Commission and (b) the Race Relations Commission.
§ Mr. RedwoodNo.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the criticisms of the firm of the chairman-designate of the Accounting Standards Board by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors.
§ Mr. RedwoodAs far as I am aware, no firm of which the chairman-designate of the Accounting Standards Board was a partner at the time has been criticised in reports of inspectors.