§ Mr. Gardnerasked the President of the Board of Trade on what date the 377W terms of the recent newspaper advertisement by Fordham Performance Bonds were agreed with his Department.
§ Mr. MasonIt is sometimes the case that insurance companies intending to issue life insurance policies have informal and confidential discussions with my Department and the Government Actuary's Department. Such consultation took place before the publication of an advertisement about Fordham Performance Bonds on 17th November and suggestions were made to the Fordham Life and General Assurance Company which were reflected in the final text. But the company did not indicate either that any reference to consultations with the Board of Trade would be included in the advertisement or that any suggestion would be made that the advertisement had in any sense been approved by the Board.
Since the publication of the advertisement the company have written to the Board apologising for the inclusion within the advertisement of references to full consultation with the Board and to the Board's agreement.