Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will reopen the inquiry into the nature of the warranties sold by ScottishPower to its customers between 1980 and 1999 and potential losses to those customers.

I am aware of concerns regarding the warranties sold by Scottish Power. The Insolvency Service has reviewed information from the liquidators of two companies that administered warranties sold between 1997 and 2001, in order to determine whether or not further investigation is warranted using powers available in the Companies Act.

Investigations conducted under section 447 Companies Act 1985 are confidential, so it is not usually possible to announce whether an investigation is taking place. I can say that in practical terms an investigation of warranties sold between 1980 and 1999 is unlikely to be able to recover meaningful evidence.