§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her role is in authorising Insolvency Practitioners; and what representations she has received about changing this procedure. [42078]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonUnder the provisions of Section 392 of the Insolvency Act 1986, the Secretary of State may directly authorise individuals to act as insolvency practitioners and 133 are so authorised. Section 391 of the Insolvency Act 1986 provides that the Secretary of State may also recognise bodies as able to authorise their members to act as insolvency practitioners.
The regulation of insolvency practice was the subject of a review during 1997 and 1998. The report of the review committee was published in February 1999.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what training is provided to the staff responsible for the operation of the Insolvency Service hotline; and what the total training cost for the team has been since the hotline's introduction. [42073]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe hotline team currently comprises four Official Receiver trained staff with substantial experience of insolvency related matters. They do not require specific additional training.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings she has had since 2001 with representatives of the Insolvency Service and if she will publish the minutes of the meetings. [42082]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonI regularly meet officials from The Insolvency Service. Under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information minutes of those meetings are not published.
1256W
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to publicise to directors their insolvency liabilities; and how much this advertising has cost the Insolvency Service each year since 1997. [42066]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Insolvency Service produced a number of guidance leaflets regarding various insolvency related matters, which are available on its website, including a guide for directors which describes the various procedures in detail and informs directors what duties and responsibilities they have if their company is subject to insolvency procedures. The Insolvency Service has also ensured that the information provided by Companies House to the officers of newly formed companies contains details of their responsibilities whilst managing limited companies.
In addition, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry successfully applies to have an unfit director disqualified from acting as a director, or accepts an undertaking not to act in that capacity, press releases are issued in local newspapers and trade journals relevant to the insolvent company. Details of the director's misconduct complained of in the application to disqualify are provided. Public reporting thus also assists greatly in the drive to increase the business community's awareness of the dangers of running a company whilst insolvent.
Publicity costs have been £155,000 in 1999–00; £112,000 in 2000–01 and £66,000 in 2001–02 (11 months). Costs for the period prior to 1999 cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives are in place to(a) monitor and (b) improve customer service standards in the Insolvency Service. [42081]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonTo monitor customer service standards The Insolvency Service has an audit process through which performance against its published service standards (set in accordance with Charter standards) is measured and monitored both locally and centrally within the Agency.
To further enhance customer service standards The Insolvency Service has: a National Consultative User Group and a Central Accounting Unit User Group; user comment cards and a website pop-up questionnaire; a complaints process; a staff New Ideas Scheme and an e-business strategy.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to make proposals regarding the bankruptcy period for personal insolvency cases. [42056]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe White Paper "Opportunity for All in a World of Change: Insolvency—A Second Chance" published the Government's proposals for reforms to the law of personal insolvency in July 2001.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to remove the bankruptcy fee payable to the Insolvency Service. [42057]
1257W
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThere are no plans to remove the fee payable in relation to the Official Receiver's administration of a debtor's estate in bankruptcy.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about the priority given to creditors of companies in administration under the Insolvency Act 2000. [42058]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonI have received no representations.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many insolvency petitions for(a) small and (b) medium enterprises were allocated to each Official Receiver's office in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [42060]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonStatistics are not maintained distinguishing between small and medium sized enterprises.