§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade when inspectors were appointed in relation to(a) Pennine Commercial Holdings plc, (b) British Anzani plc and (c) International Signal and Control Group plc; and if he will list in each case the reasons for the appointment of inspectors, the names of the inspectors and their business connections, the cost of the investigation together with details of the way in which it has been disbursed to each inspector, including the basis of disbursement, the number of hours for which each inspector has billed his Department, including the hourly rate, the date of completion and publication of the report and the action taken by the Department against the parties criticised in the report, the parties who have seen the report and under what section and statute. [33923]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansElizabeth Appleby QC and Peter Wilfred Foss FCA, a partner of Moores Rowland, were appointed inspectors of Pennine Commercial Holdings plc on 4 October 1983 and also of British Anzani plc on 11 March 1983—a related investigation.—both appointments being under the provisions of section 165(1)(b) of the Companies Act 1948—now section 432 of the Companies Act 1985—following concern over a number of matters and in particular the conduct of certain of its directors. They completed their report on British Anzani plc on 28 November 1986. The inspectors are reviewing their interim report on Pennine Commercial Holdings plc with a view to submitting a final report, following the conclusion in April 1995 of appeals against criminal convictios. When the inspectors have submitted their completed report on Pennine Commercial Holdings, publication of the reports will be considered. The cost of the inspection of British Anzani plc and related investigations to date, excluding Pennine Commercial Holdings, is £745,600. The cost of the investigation of Pennine Commercial Holdings plc to date is £391,000 of which £355,00 and £36,000, respectively, relate to the accountant and legal inspector. The hours billed and the hourly rate are confidential. Appropriate disclosure has been made within the criminal proceedings and to regulatory bodies.
Inspectors have not been appointed to International Signal and Control Group plc.