§ Ms MowlamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what external legal advice he has received on the impact of privatisation of the Insolvency Service on the future disqualification and prosecution of bankrupts;
(2) what advice he has received in respect of the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 in the event of the privatisation of the Insolvency Service;
(3) if he will publish in full the report of the consultants Stoy Hayward into privatisation of the Insolvency Service.
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin) on 3 November 1994,Official Report, columns 1251–52.
§ Ms MowlamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the efficacy of investigations begun by the Insolvency Service but completed in the private sector, in the event of privatisation of the service.
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansStoy Hayward Consulting reported that the contracting out of official receivers administrative functions would enable official receivers to concentrate more on their investigatory role. Under such arrangements investigations begun by contractors would be completed by official receivers.