§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the personnel strength of the insolvency service in each grade; and how many are employed (a) at head office and (b) in each of the provincial offices.
§ Mr. EyreOn 1 October there were 1,280 staff in post in the insolvency service. Details by grade and location are given in the attached tables. Staff working part-time are counted as half.
57W58W59W
STAFF IN POST 1 OCTOBER 1980 Grade London Head Offices Total staff Under-Secretary (Inspector General) … … … 1 1 Deputy Inspector General … … … 3 3 Principal Examiner … … … 3 3 Principal Inspector of Official Receivers … … … 1 1 Official Receiver … … … 5 8 Chief Examiner … … … 4 4 Inspector of Official Receivers … … … 2 2 Chief Clerk … … … 1 1 Official Receiver … … … — 24 Assistant Official Receivers 'B' … … … 17 19 Accountant … … … 1 1 Principal … … … 1 1 Senior Executive Officer … … … 1 1 Senior Examiner … … … 21 21 Assistant Official Receiver 'C' … … … 2 52 Higher Executive Officer … … … 15 15 Examiner … … … 136 363½ Executive Officer … … … 57 98 Clerical Officer … … … 148 298½ Clerical Assistant … … … 51 96 Senior Personal Secretary … … … — — Personal Secretary … … … 4 4 Senior Superintendent of Typists … … … 3 5 Superintendent of Typists … … … 2 15 Specialist Typist … … … 13 90 Typist … … … 21½ 74 Senior Data Processor … … … 1 1 Data Processor … … … 3 3 Chief Paperkeeper … … … 2 2 Senior Paperkeeper … … … 3 4 Paperkeeper … … … 16 28½ Senior Messenger … … … 2 2 Messenger … … … 26 36 Cleaner … … … — 2½ Total … … … 566½ 1,280
Grade Croydon Watford Brighton Bristol Bradford Bournemouth Birmingham Chester Cardiff Official Receiver 'A' … … 1 — — — — — 1 — Official Receiver 'B' … … — 1 1 1 — — 1 — 1 Assistant Official Receiver 'B' … … — — — — — 1 — — Assistant Official Receiver 'C' … … 3 2 2 1 1 1 5 1 1 Examiner … … 14 8 9½ 8 3 3 20 3 10 Executive Officer … … 2 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 Clerical Officer … … 11 6 5 4 3 3 12½ 3 5 Clerical Assistant … … 3 2 3 2 1 1 3 1 1 Senior Superintendent of Typists … … — — — — — — 1 — — Superintendent of Typists … … 1 1 1 1 — — — — — Specialist Typist … … 4½ 3 3 2½ 1 2 — 3 3 Typist … … 3 2 1½ 1½ 1½ — 10 — 1 Senior Paperkeeper … … 1 — — — — — — — — Paperkeeper … … 1 — 1 — — — 3 — — Messenger … … 2 — 1 — — — 2 — — Cleaner … … — — — — — — — — — Total … … 46½ 26 29 22 11½ 11 63½ 12 23 60W61W
Grade Canterbury Cambridge Ipswich Hull Gloucester Exeter Liverpool Leicester Leeds Official Receiver 'A' … … — — — — — — — — — Official Receiver 'B' … … 1 — — 1 1 — 1 1 1 Assistant Official Receiver 'B' … … — — — — — — — — — Assistant Official Receiver 'C' … … 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 Examiner … … 4 3 3 6 6 3 9 6½ 7 Executive Officer … … 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Clerical Officer … … 2 3 3 3 4 3 5 5 4 Clerical Assistant … … 1 — 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 Senior Superintendent of Typists … … — — — — — — — — — Superintendent of Typists … … — — — — 1 — 1 — — Specialist Typist … … 2 1½ 1 2½ 2 1 4 3 2½ Typist … … — — 1 — 1 1 1 1 1½ Senior Paperkeeper … … — — — — — — — — — Paperkeeper … … — — — — — — — — — Messenger … … — — — — — 1 — — — Cleaner … … ½ — — — — — — — — Total … … 12½ 9½ 11 15½ 18 11 27 20½ 19
Grade … … … … Nottingham Norwich Northampton Newcastle Plymouth Reading Rochester Sheffield Official Receiver 'A' … … … … — — — — — — — — Official Receiver 'B' … … … … 1 1 1 1 1 1 — 1 Assistant Official Receiver 'B' … … … … — — — — — 1 — — Assistant Official Receiver 'C' … … … … 1 1 2 1 1 2 — 2 Examiner … … … … 5 4 6 5 7 8 5 6 Executive Officer … … … … 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 Clerical Officer … … … … 5 3 3 3 3 6 3 5 Clerical Assistant … … … … 1 1 — 2 1 2 1 1 Senior Superintendent of Typists … … … … — — — — — — — — Superintendent of Typists … … … … 1 — — — — 1 — 1 Specialist Typist … … … … 2 3 3 4 2 3 2½ 2 Typist … … … … 1 1 — — 2 1½ — 1½ Senior Paperkeeper … … … … — — — — — — — — Paperkeeper … … … … — — — — 1 1½ — — Messenger … … … … 1 — — — — 1 — — Cleaner … … … … — — ½ — — — ½ 1 Total … … … … 19 15 16½ 17 19 30 13 21½ 62W63W
Grade St. Annes Salford Swansea Stockton Southend Southampton Stoke Total provincial Official Receiver 'A' … … … … — 1 — — — — — 3 Official Receiver 'B' … … … … 1 1 1 — 1 1 1 24 Assistant Official Receiver 'B' … … … … — — — — — — — 2 Assistant Official Receiver 'C' … … … … 2 4 1 1 1 2 1 50 Examiner … … … … 8 18 6 4 6 7 6½ 227½ Executive Officer … … … … 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 41 Clerical Officer … … … … 5 10 5 3 4 4 4 150½ Clerical Assistant … … … … 2 3 1 — 1 2 1 45 Senior Superintendent of Typists … … … … — 1 — — — — — 2 Superintendent of Typists … … … … 1 — 1 — — 1 1 13 Specialist Typist … … … … 3 3 1 — 2 3 2 77 Typist … … … … ½ 6 3 3 2 2 2 52½ Senior Paperkeeper … … … … — — — — — — — 1 Paperkeeper … … … … 1 2 — — — 1 1 12½ Messenger … … … … — 2 — — — — — 10 Cleaner … … … … — — — — — — — 2½ Total … … … … 24½ 54 20 13 18 24 20½ 713½
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the annual rate of criminal bankruptcies; and how many members of his Department are engaged on the affairs of such bankruptcies.
§ Mr. Eyre:All criminal bankruptcy petitions are presented in the High Court and the number of receiving orders in bankruptcy made annually to 30 September 1980 on such petitions are:
1974 16 1975 23 1976 24 1977 51 1978 29 1979 35 1980 35 Staff of the official receivers in bankruptcy, High Court, who are engaged on criminal bankruptcies among other duties—which cannot readily be distinguished separately—are:
2 official receivers 7 assistant official receivers 7 senior examiners Examiners either at 'D' or 'E' level and administration group staff assist as necessary in these cases.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Trade how many members of his Department are engaged on the audit of the insolvency accounts and records maintained of (a) trustees in bankruptcy and (b) liquidators; and what are the grades of those concerned and the costs involved.
§ Mr. Eyre:The following officers are engaged, wholly or part time, on the audit of the insolvency accounts and records; trustees and liquidator accounts and records are not organisationally separated:
1 principal inspector of official receivers auditor 1 chief clerk 3 senior examiners 11 higher executive officers 32 executive officers 42 clerical officers 11 clerical assistants 2 paperkeepers The current annual cost is estimated at £1,425,317: £850,336 for audit of trustees accounts and £574,981 for audit of the accounts of liquidators of companies in compulsory liquidation.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Trade in how many cases in each year the particulars of directors of insolvent companies have been referred to 64W him for consideration of their being debarred from acting as directors of companies under the provisions of the Insolvency Act; how many cases are still under consideration; and in how many cases directors have been debarred.
§ Mr. Eyre:Since 1 October 1977, when section 9 of the Insolvency Act 1976 came into operation, reports solely concerned with consideration of applications for disqualifying orders against 36 directors have been submitted to the department, as follows:
1978 13 1979 13 1980 (to date) 10 Reports in relation to 24 persons are under consideration by the Department or its legal advisers: it has been decided in relation to seven to take no action; actions are proceeding to a hearing in relation to three; and two persons have been disqualified by orders of the court from acting as directors or being concerned in the management of any limited company for five years.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Trade in how many cases in recent years official receivers have submitted reports suggesting that bankrupts may have (a) committed offences under the insolvency laws and (b) committed other offences.
§ Mr. Eyre:The information available to the Department shows that the following reports have been submitted by official receivers alleging offences as follows:
Under the Bankruptcy Acts: 1975 238 1976 231 1977 230 1978 214 1979 147 1980 (to date) 149 Under the Bankruptcy Acts combined with other enactments:
1975 78 1976 60 1977 74 1978 62 1979 51 1980 (to date) 33 Under other enactments alone:
65W
1975 70 1976 55 1977 67 1978 48 1979 36 1980 (to date) 38