Householders Association

EDM number 974 in 1993-94, proposed by John Denham on 29/03/1994.

That this House notes that many victims of the collapse of Guardian Windows were led to believe that their deposits were secured by the Householders Association; notes with concern that on 2nd February the Householders Association was under the effective control of Mr Ivor Gershfield despite court action being taken by the Department of Trade and Industry to ban him from holding directorships under the Company Directors Disqualifications Act 1986; further notes that a letter dated 2nd February demonstrating his effective control and addressed to him by J. C. Woodbridge, a Chartered Accountant hired by the Association stated 'Speaking bluntly, if Guardian is a reasonable sample of how you operate, I would think it appropriate for your staff to become expert in the conduct of insolvency meetings'; notes with concern that a new company was due to be launched by the proprietors of the Householders Association on Monday 28th March; believes that the collapse of Guardian Windows and Western Driveways together with the conduct of the Householders Association demonstrates that consumers are unprotected from unscrupulous sales companies and so-called bonding and guarantee organisations; and calls for urgent Government action to tighten the law to control such companies.

This motion has been signed by a total of 31 MPs.