§ Ms. MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's policy(a) on the timing of the release of one of its inspector's reports where the subject of the report is also the subject of a current trial and (b) on the relative timing of the release of an inspector's report to those mentioned in the report and to Parliament.
§ Mr. LilleyMy Department would not expect to publish a report where the subject of the report was also the subject of a current criminal trial. A copy of the report could, however, be made available to those affected by its contents in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act and against suitable undertakings of confidentiality from the recipients. The timing of such release would depend upon the reasons for the request for the report.
Reports are made available to Parliament on publication. It has been the practice of my Department to allow persons whose interests may be affected by the report, on request and on payment of the prescribed fee in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 1985, to have copies, against undertakings, shortly before the proposed date of publication.