House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee Blacklisting Compensation Scheme Correspondence Chair s Letter and Replies In October 2013, eight of the construction companies, who had previously been identified as having used the services of TCA, announced that they were developing a compensation scheme for blacklisted workers. The Committee agreed to write to the other companies, who had used the services of TCA but who had not signed up to the scheme, to ask why they had chosen not to participate in this scheme. Published below is a copy of the letter sent by the Scottish Affairs Committee and the responses received.
Scottish Affairs Committee Committee Office House of Commons 7 Millbank London SW1P 3JA Tel 020 7219 6123 Fax 020 7219 2519 Email scotaffcom@parliament.uk Website www.parliament.uk From the Chair, Mr Ian Davidson MP «ADDRESS5» Wednesday 8th January 2014 Dear Company Secretary The Scottish Affairs Committee is currently conducting an inquiry into Blacklisting in Employment, and we published an interim report on this topic in April 2013. As our initial inquiries suggested a number of further areas for investigation, we have continued to take evidence, and hope to publish a further report and recommendations early in 2014. As part of this section of the inquiry, the Committee is looking at the issue of compensation for victims of blacklisting by the construction industry. As your company has been implicated in either the Scottish Affairs Committee s or the Information Commissioner s Office s investigations into blacklisting, you were recently contacted by Richard Slaven of Pinsent Masons LLP regarding a proposed compensation scheme for victims. Eight major construction companies have agreed to sign up to this scheme. However, we understand that your company declined to do so. As consideration of this scheme will form a significant part of our forthcoming report, I am writing to you to give you the opportunity to explain why your company has declined to sign up. Owing to the Committee s timescales, I would appreciate if you could reply promptly, and no later than 31 January. Please send your reply via email to scotaffcom@parliament.uk. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Mr Ian Davidson MP Chair, Scottish Affairs Committee
Taylor Wimpey Dear Mr Davidson Thank you for your letter of 8 January which has been received today. For information, I attach a letter sent to Stephen McPartland MP and Kelvin Hopkins MP on 4 December the contents of which are self-explanatory and relate to this matter. As you will note, Taylor Wimpey fully investigated the allegations of involvement by its former businesses contained in Claim No. HQ12X015 Steve Acheson & Others v Sir Robert McAlpine Limited relating to The Consulting Agency (TCA). As set out in the attached letter, following our investigations, we found nothing to suggest that our former construction businesses referred to above were active members of TCA. Furthermore there is no evidence of our former business (George Wimpey disposed of in 1996 and Taylor Woodrow disposed of in 2008) being involved in any blacklisting activities. With regard to the first point of your second paragraph, please not that I have not received any proposal from Pinsent Masons. If you need any further information then please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards James Jordan Our ref. JJJ/01813.DOC/SLA 04 December 2013 Stephen McPartland MP and Kelvin Hopkins MP House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Dear Mr McPartland and Mr Hopkins, Thank you for your letter dated 13 November 2013 (received last week) addressed to our Chief Executive, who has asked me to respond on his behalf. By way of background information, Taylor Wimpey plc was effectively created in 2007 through the merger of Taylor Wimpey Plc and Taylor Woodrow plc in mid 2007. We are now only involved in land development via housebuilding and not in construction activities per se. This is because George Wimpey Limited swapped its UK Construction activities with Tarmac plc on 8 February 1996 in return for Tarmac s housebuilding activities; the Taylor Woodrow Construction business in the UK was sold in its entirety to Vinci on 9 September 2008. Taylor Wimpey fully investigated the allegations of involvement by its former businesses contained in Claim No. HQ12X015 Steve Acheson & Others v Sir Robert McAlpine Limited relating to The Consulting Agency (TCA).
Please be advised that following our investigations, we found nothing to suggest that our former construction businesses referred to above were active members of TCA. Furthermore there is no evidence of our former business being involved in any blacklisting activities. The Company takes compliance and business conduct and ethics very seriously; the policies under which we conduct our business would not countenance involvement in such activities. Yours sincerely, James Jordan Group Legal Director and Company Secretary