§ Mr. Robert Taylorasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will update the figures given in paragraphs 4.6 and 4.7 of the Stevenson Committee's report on the Crown Agents, showing the percentage of the Crown Agents' procurements from outside the United Kingdom 257W since 1970 and the loss or profit made by the procurement division in the relevant years.
§ Mrs. HartThe percentage of orders placed by the Crown Agents outside the United Kingdom in each year since 1970 is as follows:
Year Per cent. 1970 24 1971 31 1972 28 1973 31 1974 27 1975 32 1976 36 The loss or profit made by the Crown Agents' procurement division in each year since 1970 is as follows:
Year Loss or Profit £ 1970 374,000 loss 1971 88,000 loss 1972 333,000 loss 1973 11,000 loss 1974 484,000 loss 1975 113,000 loss 1976 3,245,000 profit The return to earning a surplus on procurement work in 1976 was mainly due to an increase in charges made against a background of losses over a number of years.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the salary scale and pension payable to the Chairman of the Crown Agents and the financial director.
§ Mr. TomlinsonThe salary of the present Chairman of the Crown Agents is £20,751 per annum. The post is not pensionable. The fee of £10,000 per annum payable to him since 1st October 1977 as Chairman of the Port of London Authority is paid gross to Crown Agents.
The post of financial director has now been abolished. The duties formerly performed by the financial director have been reallocated between the controller of services to principals and the financial and administrative controller. The salary of each of these posts is £13,423 per annum. Both posts are pensionable under the Crown Agents Superannuation Scheme, the provisions of which are analogous to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will 258W give for the longest and most convenient stated period of time the amounts of money spent by the Crown Agents on entertainment; what kind of entertainment was involved; and who participated.
§ Mr. TomlinsonWe have asked the Crown Agents to produce as full details as possible, and when they are received we will publish the information in theOfficial Report.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she is satisfied with the progress that the Crown Agents are making in relation to the proposed bankruptcy of Mr. William Stern.
§ Mr. TomlinsonMy right hon. Friend is satisfied that the Crown Agents have gone as far as they appropriately can in this matter at the moment with a view to recovering as much as possible. As she told my hon. Friend in the House on 16th May and again on 1st December, they have taken the formal steps necessary prior to the institution of legal proceedings that could ultimately lead to a bankruptcy petition against Mr. William Stern. They have done this in respect of his personal guarantees of a number of Crown Agents' loans to the Stern Group.