§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to the Appropriation accounts (House of Commons 138, 1977–78 class IV, Vote 8), what are the full details of the claims abandoned amounting to a sum of £2,664.
§ Mr. Les HuckfieldThree claims by the Department against companies were abandoned. Two of these concerned investment grants which involved the writing off of £2,087 and £117. The larger sum related to a firm which went into liquidation and the Department as a result was unable to recover the amount722W owing to it following disposal by the company of its grant-aided assets. The recovery of the smaller sum would have involved the Department in disproportionate costs to public funds and it was therefore judged that to write off the sum would minimise the cost to the Department. The third abandoned claim concerned a Departmental fee for arranging a bank loan guarantee. The guarantee was not taken up and the fee to the company was reduced from £850 to £450. The latter sum was accepted by the Department in full and final settlement on legal advice.