To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consideration is now being given to payment of compensation to employees of Matrix Churchill who suffered financial loss as a result of the collapse of that company.

I have been asked to reply.The Employment Department made payments to former employees of Matrix Churchill last year totalling something over £950,000 covering redundancy payments, arrears of pay, and compensation for lack of statutory notice. The payments made were the normal statutory payments made to employees of insolvent companies under employment legislation.