HC Deb 19 July 1995 vol 263 cc1561-2W
Mrs. Helen Jackson

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the names and addresses of those individuals, firms and companies who have expressed an interest in tendering for the work of the Insolvency Service. [34527]

Mr. Oppenheim

No, this information is commercially confidential.

Mrs. Helen Jackson

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if the £1.3 million allocated to the Insolvency Service for the contracting out exercise has been found from savings from his Department's allocation from the Treasury for this financial year. [34523]

Mr. Oppenheim

The money allocated to cover the contracting out exercise will be found from within the Department's agreed budget for this financial year.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to ensure that bankrupts and those who became insolvent are able to comply with the investigation of a contracted-out Insolvency Service with no more travel than is presently necessary. [35073]

Mr. Oppenheim

A benchmark service standard for any contracting out would be accessibility at current levels. Any reorganisation of official receivers' offices will need to ensure that bankrupts and company directors do not have to travel excessive distances to attend interviews with the official receiver.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff his Department estimates will be required to fulfil the official receiver's investigatory role following the contracting out of his case administration functions. [350175]

Mr. Oppenheim

Only when negotiations with potential providers have been completed and decisions taken on contracting out will it be possible to determine the size and shape of the Insolvency Service necessary to carry out its investigative and other remaining functions.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many Insolvency Service staff will be made redundant or transferred should the functions of the official receiver be contracted out. [35194]

Mr. Oppenheim

Only when negotiations with potential bidders have been completed would it be possible to determine the type of bids to be received—for instance, TUPE or non-TUPE—and, as a result the residual size and shape of the Insolvency Service. If a decision were made to contract out we would wish to avoid redundancies wherever possible.