HC Deb 26 June 1995 vol 262 c499W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date a schedule of documents removed from the Astra group of companies was prepared by his Department's police. [29719]

Mr. Soames

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 requires a police officer receiving property into Ministry of Defence Police possession to record it as soon as practicable. There is no one schedule of documents removed from the Astra group of companies by the MDP. The individual schemes were prepared between March 1990 and July 1992.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's police began their investigations into the Astra group of companies; and on what date those investigations were wound up. [29724]

Mr. Soames

Investigations by the Ministry of Defence police into the Astra group of companies began in February 1990. The inquiries closed in January 1993.