§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he has taken to ensure that insolvency practitioners provide adequate disqualification information, following the National Audit Office report on director disqualification. [32601]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansThe Insolvency Service issued revised guidelines to insolvency practitioners in March 1993 which emphasised the need for timeliness of reports and the adequacy of evidence to support allegations of unfit conduct. These guidelines are being reinforced by the joint insolvency monitoring unit set up in March 1994 by the insolvency profession to raise standards of its members. In addition the Insolvency Service has commenced a programme of visits to practitioners who have a poor record of reporting, backed by prosecution in extreme cases; improved its feedback to insolvency practitioners on reasons why their reports have not met the criteria for commencement of proceedings, and proposed amendments to the disqualification forms used by practitioners, under the Government's deregulation initiative.