§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current basis on which his Department calculate the fees to be paid to inspectors carrying out companies investigations; and what the total sums expended on such fees were in each year since 1985.
§ Mr. RedwoodIn cases where non-departmental inspectors are appointed, fees, both for inspectors and for the grades of support staff assisting them, are calculated on the basis of pre-agreed hourly charge-out rates.
The total amount expended annually on such fees, including vouched disbursements, is shown in the companies annual report, copies of which are in the Library. For ease of reference, the table sets out the figures for each year since 1985:
23W
Year Expenditure (£ million) 1985 0.77 1986 1.29 1986–87 1.53 1987–88 2.50 1988–89 2.90 Note: Until 1986, the companies annual report was prepared on a calendar year basis. Thereafter, it was produced on a financial year basis. There is, therefore, an overlap in the figures provided for 1986 and for 1986–87 in the table.
Year Expenditure(£ million) 1989–90 6.10 1990–91 11.10