§ Mr. Conwayasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to improve the speed with which bankruptcy estates are finalised.
§ Mr. HowardThere are cases which, because of their complexities, do take some time to complete. But I have no reason to believe that in general bankruptcy administrations are unduly or unnecessarily protracted.
§ Mr. Conwayasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied with the method of control of the execution of duties by bankruptcy trustees.
§ Mr. HowardI am satisfied that the general control of trustees in bankruptcy is adequate. But it must remain primarily in the hands of creditors by whom they are appointed and the courts which have general jurisdiction.
§ Mr. Conwayasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied with the level of trustee charges applied to bankruptcy cases.
§ Mr. HowardI have no reason to believe that the level of fees charged by bankruptcy trustees is unreasonable. Where the Official Receiver acts as trustee, his charges are based on statutory fees orders. In the majority of cases where non-official trustees act, their renumeration is fixed by the creditors or their committee of inspection and is usually based on the fees order scales.