§ Mr. Cantasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, why officers of the Pinnock Finance Company (Great Britain) Limited, stated in his Department inspector's report to have committed or 11W been parties to serious offences, are not being prosecuted.
§ The Attorney-General,pursuant to the reply given by Mr. RIDLEY, OFFICIAL REPORT, 30th July, 1971, c. 192. I have been asked to reply.
In June, 1970 the Director of Public Prosecutions discussed with me the Report which he had received. We decided that police investigations would not be justified at that stage. Of the potential defendants, the principal one had left the country some years previously and his whereabouts were not, and still are not, known. Moreover, some of the essential evidence would have to be obtained from persons living overseas and there is no means of requiring them to give that evidence.