§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if all the schedules of documents taken from 373W the Astra group of companies have now been accounted for. [30066]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 28 June 1995]: A re-sort of the seized property store, directed by the deputy chief constable of the MOD police, has accounted for all schedules of documents seized from the Astra group of companies by the MDP in relation to their investigations of corruption involving those companies.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which(a) other Departments and (b) agencies of Government on bodies acting on their behalf had access to the papers taken from the Astra group of companies in early 1990. [30064]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 28 June 1995]: Department of Trade and Industry inspectors were allowed access to such papers by and in the presence of MDP officers in pursuance of their own enquiries.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions on which his police staff visited Astra plc or any of its subsidiaries between 1 January 1989 and 31 December 1991. [30100]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 27 June 1995]: Officers from the MOD police fraud squad are recorded as having visited the premises of Astra plc or its subsidiaries, in connection with the investigation of corruption involving those companies, on the following occasions between 1 January 1989 and 31 December 1991: 13 March 1990, 30 March 1990, 3 April 1990, 4 April 1990, 5 April 1990, 9 April 1990, 10 April 1990, 11 April 1990, 26 April 1990, 10 May 1990, 11 May 1990, 16 May 1990, 19 May 1990, 20 May 1990, 24 May 1990, 25 May 1990, 15 June 1990, 20 June 1990, 21 June 1990, 10 July 1990, 11 July 1990, 19 July 1990 and 7 August 1990.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what authority Detective Inspector Berry of the374W MOD police was acting when he wrote to the Astra administrators on 27 January 1993. [30102]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 27 June 1995]: Detective Inspector Berry is a member of the MOD police who operate under the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987. He holds the office of constable under the Crown, and acted under the direction of superintendent, head of the MDP fraud squad.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds(a) Mr. Chris Gumbley, (b) Mr. John Seilens, (c) Lieutenant Colonel Hollingsworth and (d) Mr. Miller of Astra plc were arrested by Ministry of Defence Police officers. [30108]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 27 June 1995]: All four were arrested on suspicion of corruption under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.