Earlier today I raised the issue of the report into the collapse of MG Rover with Harriet Harman – Leader of the House of Commons – during Business Questions. I asked her to confirm that the report would be published as soon as possible and that the government will do everything they can to ensure former workers can receive money from the trust fund.
The minister assured me that “if there is not to be any further criminal investigation, the report will be published. [If there is] … the report will be published once any criminal investigations have been concluded.”
You can read the full transcript at the bottom of this page.
I also raised the issue today during a House of Commons debate on UK Manufacturing – online here.
House of Commons – 9 July 2009
Business of the House
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab): Will my right hon. and learned Friend reflect, with her colleagues, on the mechanisms to be used to inform the House and me, the constituency MP, when it is known how the Serious Fraud Office intends to proceed with the MG Rover inquiry? Will she confirm today that it remains the Government’s intention to publish the inquiry report as soon as possible, and that the Government will do everything that they can to ensure that the former workers of MG Rover receive the money that is their due from the trust fund that has been set up?
The Leader of the House of Commons (Ms Harriet Harman): The Government agree very much with my hon. Friend that those who are owed money should be paid as quickly as possible by the trust; my hon. Friend has championed his constituents in that regard. As far as the publication of the report is concerned, as he said, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has referred the question of whether there should be a criminal investigation to the Serious Fraud Office. The SFO has undertaken to decide whether the matter warrants a full investigation within, I think, 20 days of the matter being referred to it. If there is not to be any further criminal investigation, the report will be published. Obviously, if there is to be a criminal investigation, nothing must be done that would prejudice it, but the report will be published once any criminal investigations have been concluded.
