§ Mr. John HughesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, since computerisation of search facilities at Companies Registration Office(a) how many times the computers have gone down, (b) what is the average time the computers have been down and (c) what is the longest and shortest time the computers have been down.
§ Mr. MaudeThe chief executive of Companies House tells me that, since the computerised search facilities were established on 19 September 1988, there have been four instances when the computer has gone down. However, other factors such as failure in data communications links have also, from time to time, resulted in the loss of the search service.
Altogether there have been 35 incidents which have resulted in some or all of the search room computer terminals being inoperable. The average duration of each incident has been 49 minutes. The longest interruption, lasting 62 hours and caused by a simultaneous failure in a primary and standby communications link, affected only the terminals in the London search room. The shortest recorded incident lasted 10 minutes.
§ Mr. John HughesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether there are any plans to provide back up computer facilities for when the Companies Registration Office computer search system goes down.
§ Mr. MaudeThe chief executive attaches great importance to maximising the availability of computerised services and ways of reducing the risk of failure of all elements of the service are kept constantly under review. Currently, steps being taken to provide increased protection against computer failure include the installation of a second mainframe processor to provide back-up for the primary machine. Plans are also being prepared to enable the agency's computerised systems to be transferred to my Department's computer installation in Middlesex in the event of a major disaster at the agency's own computer installation.
§ Mr. John HughesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the average delay before documents received at Companies Registration Office are available on microfiche; and what steps are being taken by the Companies Registration Office to reduce the delay.
§ Mr. MaudeThe chief executive of Companies House tells me that the average delay for making documents available for public inspection on microfiche over the 51 weeks of 1988–89 to the 24 March has been 25 working days. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 23 March 1989 targets for Companies House including one for an improvement in the time taken to process documents to an average 18 working days during 1990–91. Under the new agency arrangements, it is for the chief executive to take steps to meet this target.
§ Mr. John HughesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects the BAA shareholder register received by the Companies Registration Office on 30 September 1988, to be available for public inspection on microfiche.
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§ Mr. MaudeThe chief executive tells me that this register was received by him in computer output microfilm form from which it was not possible to take good quality microfiche copies in the usual way. However, it has been available for inspection in Cardiff from 30 September. If a London searcher had wished to inspect it I understand that arrangements could have been made. The chief executive's staff has, as a result of the hon. Member's interest, been experimenting with a number of alternative ways of providing a copy to the London office and I am pleased to say that they have now found a technique that will enable them to do so. This shareholders register is now therefore available for inspection on request at the London search room.
§ Mr. John HughesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much it costs to produce the average company microfiche at Companies Registration Office.
§ Mr. MaudeThe chief executive of Companies House tells me that, on a memorandum trading account basis, the estimated average cost of producing a company record on microfiche in 1988–89 was £2.46.
§ Mr. John HughesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what were the staffing levels at(a) Companies Registration Office, Cardiff and (b) Companies Registration Office, London, for the period 1979 to 1988.
§ Mr. MaudeThe chief executive Companies House tells me that at 1 April each year the numbers of permanent staff in post were as follows:
Cardiff London 1979 866.5 224 1980 828.5 204.5 1981 770.5 213 1982 772 196 1983 766 193 1984 768.5 181.5 1985 853 180.5 1986 857 181.5 1987 851.5 189 1988 795 178