Currently reading: MG Rover enquiry completed

Report has taken three years and £16 million to finish

The enquiry into MG Rover's collapse has finally been completed after three years of investigation, at a total cost to the tax payer of more than £16 million.

However, the findings have not yet been made public.

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The enquiry looked into what happened between MG Rover's acquisition by Phoenix Ventures in 2000 and the firm going into administration in 2005, with the loss of 6000 jobs.

Birmingham Northfield MP Richard Burden has reported that he has been told by business minister Ian Lucas that the inspectors delivered their report on 11 June. The report is now with the business secretary Lord Mandelson.

When Rover collapsed, the government announced a £150m support package for those losing their jobs and for the estimated 12,500 people in affected subsidiary firms.

Burden told the BBC: "Like everybody else in the area I have found it incredibly frustrating that we have had to wait so long for this report.

"So I now hope that the contents of the inquiry will be made available as soon as possible.

"'The escalating cost of the inquiry has also been a matter of real concern to so many people, including me.

"Hopefully the contents of the report will provide some answers to why it has cost so much and I certainly welcome the government's commitment to try to minimise the cost of any similar inquiries in the future.

"But the important thing now is to know what the report contains and I hope the government will be able to make a statement on that as soon as possible."

The total cost of MG Rover's collapse is reported to be more than £600 million.

Along with the £16 million cost of the inquiry, the final bill will include a £467 million pension scheme deficit, a £90 million Treasury boost to help the West Midlands economy and a £5.2 million Department of Trade and Industry loan to MG Rover as the collapse loomed.

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