(First published in Dear IP no 39, October 1997)

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2.    Hays DX Document Exchange

Practitioners are advised that The Insolvency Service units based in Birmingham are members of the Hays (DX) Document Exchange. The DX addresses for IPCU and CAU are shown below:

Practitioners sending instructions or documents to HQ Birmingham via the Hays (DX) document exchange, must include both their DX and postal addresses. Failure to do so, may result in delays in processing their instructions – for example cheques issued by CAU will, for the time being, still be dispatched to the recorded postal addresses which, for security purposes, is compared with the address shown on the requisition.

Details of DX addresses for other Birmingham units are available upon request from the appropriate unit.

(First published in Dear IP no. 50, June 2000)

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4.    Introduction of a Database of IP’s on the Insolvency Service internet site

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5.   Changes within insolvency practitioner Section.

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6.  Change of address  

Article Withdrawn December 2006.  Please see article 10

7.  Inclusion on Insolvency Service website.

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8.  Electronic mail 

IP Section are currently reviewing the presentation and communication of Dear IP and it would be useful to know whether insolvency practitioners would prefer to receive Dear IP by email rather than as a paper copy; Dear IP would not be provided by both means. To assist in assessing views it would be helpful if you could complete and return the attached form. If you have any queries about this article or require additional forms please telephone Val Field on 020 7291 6765.

  Click here to Download/View the survey form.

9.    Transfer of functions to insolvency practitioner Unit (IPU) and the transfer of insolvency practitioner Section to the Policy and Technical Directorate.

The following work is now undertaken by IPU in Birmingham.

• Applications for agreement in principle for a SoS appointment of a trustee or liquidator;
• Authorisation of IPs licensed by the SoS;
• Monitoring of IPs licensed by the SoS;
• Complaints about IPs authorised by the SoS;
• Monitoring of other Regulatory Professional Bodies;
• Applications from IPs for sanction in lieu of a liquidation or creditors' committee;
• Applications for local bank accounts;
• Applications for release from office by an IP, where the creditors have resolved against release or where the court removed the IP;
• Applications for Old Act Remuneration;
• Assistance on the bulk transfers of cases to a successor IP, where the last IP in office is/was authorised by the SoS;
• Acting as Registrar of Individual Voluntary Arrangements;
• Recording of all non-court Insolvencies;
• Vetting of Disqualification Reports received from IPs;
• Allocation of IP Disqualification Reports to insolvency practitioner Disqualification Unit.

Insolvency practitioner Section has transferred from the Enforcement Directorate to the Policy and Technical Directorate and is now known as insolvency practitioner Policy Section (IPPS). The section will continue to deal with: -

• All policy work relating to the regulation of IPs;
• Complaints about IPs authorised by one of the Recognised Professional Bodies (RPBs) (e.g. the ICAEW, IPA);
• Dear IP bulletins;
• Regulation of the RPBs;
• Assistance on the bulk transfer of cases to a successor IP, where the last IP in office is/was authorised by an RPB.

10. Change of Address, Firm Name etc

Insolvency practitioners are advised that any change in their business address, telephone number etc, should be notified to their respective RPB. The RPB in turn will notify IP Policy Section who will ensure that the change of details is passed to the relevant department within The Service. Practitioners are also requested to advise their RPB where there is any change in the name of their practice, or where they move between practices. Any insolvency practitioners authorised by the Secretary of State should continue to advise insolvency practitioner Unit in Birmingham. This article replaces the instructions contained within article 6, chapter 14, in Dear IP issue 10.

General enquiries may be directed to IPU.Email@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

11. Details on the Insolvency Service Website 

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13. Public Database of Authorised Insolvency Practitioners 

The Insolvency Service intends to publish on its website a complete list of all currently authorised insolvency practitioners. This follows fresh guidance on the Data Protection Act that consent of individual IPs is not required for entry onto the register provided that only public information is listed. 

For anyone seeking the services of an insolvency practitioner or wanting to see if a person is authorised, there is currently no one place that displays this information. It is considered that a register of all IPs will be a useful and effective way of gaining assurance that an IP is currently authorised and it is therefore intended to set up a public register within the next few months. The register will include the email address of the practice and a central telephone number. It will not include personal email addresses or direct telephone numbers without consent.  

Any enquiries regarding the above article should be directed towards, Insolvency Practitioner Policy Section, The Insolvency Service, Area 5.6, 21 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3QW; IPPolicy.section@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

Any enquiries regarding the register should be directed towards Insolvency Practitioner Unit, Ladywood House, 45/6 Stephenson Street, Birmingham, B2 4DS; telephone:  IPU.Email@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

14. Relocation of Insolvency Service in Birmingham 

Insolvency practitioners are asked to note that with effect from 23 May 2008 the Insolvency Service office in Ladywood House, Birmingham, has closed, with all staff relocating to new premises at: 

Cannon House
18 Priory Queensway
Birmingham
B4 6BS
Tel: 0121 698 4000 

DX numbers, direct dial telephone numbers and fax numbers are unchanged. 

The following Official Receiver and Corporate Business Services functions are affected: 

Official Receiver, Birmingham – Offices A, B & C
RTLU Midlands
Insolvency Practitioner Unit
Disqualification Investigation Team
Case Targeting Team
Defendant Liaison Team
Estate Accounts Services
Finance Birmingham
Corporate Governance 

However, please note that the Estate Accounts Services PO Box and DX addresses will remain the same, and are as follows: 

Estate Accounts Services
Insolvency Service
PO Box 3690
Birmingham
B2 4UZ 
DX 713899
Birmingham 37 

Any enquiries regarding this article should be directed towards the relevant sections above. 

General enquiries may be directed to IPPolicy.Section@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk;

Telephone: 0207 291 6772