§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many investigations the Insolvency Service agency has conducted into independent practitioners during each year since 1990 and so far in 1993.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonThe Insolvency Service undertakes routine monitoring visits to practitioners to test their compliance with the legislation. Detailed special inspections are carried out where the facts of the case suggest that this is merited. The following figures are on a financial year basis: detailed records were not maintained prior to 1991–92.
Numbers Monitoring visits 1991–92 31 1992–93 147 1993–94 (to date) 135 Special inspections 1991–92 2 1992–93 9 1993–94 (to date) 5
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade when the Stoy Hayward review of the future of the Insolvency Service will be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonI am currently considering what further work needs to be done following the Stoy Hayward review and shall announce to the House in due course what the next steps will be, including any plans for making public the contents of Stoy Hayward's report.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many independent practitioners have been struck off as a result of complaints made about their conduct to the Insolvency Service agency.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonSince the introduction of the requirement to be authorised in the Insolvency Act 1986, 12 insolvency practitioners have had their authorisations420W withdrawn by their respective authorising bodies. In 11 of these cases, the initial complaint was made to the Insolvency Service.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many complaints the Insolvency Service agency received about the conduct of independent practitioners during each year since 1990 and so far in 1993.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonThe Insolvency Service agency does not keep a record specifically relating to complaints about the conduct of insolvency practitioners, but receives a range of correspondence relating to the administration of insolvencies.
Mr. Peter Joyce, the agency's chief executive, answered letters, some of which contained criticism of practitioners, totalling 26 in 1991, 85 in 1992 and 50 to 31 October 1993.
In addition, I and my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade have responded to letters from hon. Members concerning specific insolvencies totalling 399 in 1991, 355 in 1992 and 314 to 31 October 1993. Officials have answered on our behalf 207 letters in 1992 and 147 to 31 October 1993. Information on how many of these letters contained complaints about independent practitioners could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
No central record is kept of complaints about the conduct of insolvency practitioners made direct to official receivers.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how much of the Stoy Hayward review of the future of the Insolvency Service cost; and whether it came from the Insolvency Service agency budget.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonThe cost of the review, which is commercially confidential, was paid for from Insolvency Service resources.