18 January 2004. Thanks to A.
The Sunday Times (UK)
January 18, 2004
Whitehall hires former spies to nail honours leak
Robert Winnett and David Leppard
THE government has hired a detective agency to uncover the mole behind leaks
to The Sunday Times which exposed the secrets of the honours system.
The mole hunt, which security consultants say could cost hundreds of thousands
of pounds, has been condemned as “a waste of taxpayers’ money”
by senior Whitehall insiders.
It is believed to be the first time a private agency has been hired to conduct
a government leak inquiry. The company is expected to charge the Cabinet
Office at least £5,000 a day.
News of the contract comes only days before the government is expected to
be criticised by Lord Hutton for the way it pursued another whistleblower,
Dr David Kelly, the government weapons scientist.
The Sunday Times revealed last month that nearly 300 people, including dozens
of famous names, had refused honours.
The leaked Cabinet Office documents also showed that mandarins decided to
give Tim Henman, Britain’s top tennis player, an OBE simply because
his name would “add interest” to a lacklustre new year’s honours
list.
The main honours committee of senior civil servants denied a knighthood to
Colin Blakemore, the eminent scientist, because it felt his work on vivisection
was too “controversial” — even though it was publicly supported
by ministers.
The disclosures forced the government to announce an inquiry into ways of
making the system more transparent and fair.
This weekend, further Whitehall documents leaked to The Sunday Times revealed
Risk Analysis has been hired by the Cabinet Office to interrogate civil servants.
The company has offices in London’s Mayfair, Luxembourg and Switzerland
and has a track record of corporate investigations in Russia and the Middle
East.
It is headed by Christopher Davy, CB, who spent more than 26 years in the
intelligence services. He has been described as having worked for “the
Ministry of Defence”, but Whitehall sources say he worked for MI5.
Martin Flint, the company’s managing director, was for 20 years an
intelligence officer with MI5, where he became one of its most senior officials.
Both men were unavailable for comment yesterday.
The document, marked “restricted” and circulated in Whitehall,
said Davy would be leading the inquiry into the “serious and damaging
leak” of a “significant amount of sensitive material”.
The team of former intelligence officers is currently drawing up lists of
civil servants who had access to the leaked information.
That number could run into several hundreds. According to one document, the
team will then conduct dozens of initial fact-finding interviews to decide
who should be probed further in four-hour-long interrogations.
The investigation is understood to have been authorised by senior ministers
despite the fact that the leaks pose no threat to national security.
A senior member of the government’s D-notice committee, which monitors
potential breaches by the media of official secrets laws, said the use of
an outside agency to investigate leaks of government information was
“extremely bizarre”.
“The Cabinet Office appears to be conducting a witch-hunt against someone
who quite properly blew the whistle. In terms of the public interest, this
was a valid story from someone who believed the system had become politicised
and corrupt.”
RISK ANALYSIS (UK) LIMITED
7 APPLE TREE YARD
LONDON
SW1Y 6LD
http://www.risk-analysis.org
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Eyeballing
Risk Analysis Limited
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RISK ANALYSIS BUSINESS ACCOUNTS
Company Name RISK ANALYSIS (UK) LIMITED
Registered Number 03604666
Registered Address 7 APPLE TREE YARD
LONDON
Post Code SW1Y 6LD
Type Private Limited
Incorporation date 27/07/1998
Type of Accounts Total Exemption Small
__________________________________________
Annual Accounts 04/02-03/03
Change 04/01-03/02
Change 04/00-03/01
Months 12 - 12 - 12
Currency GBP - GBP - GBP
Consolidated A/cs N - N - N
Turnover - - -
- -
Pre tax profit -
- -
- -
Profit after tax - - - - -
Stock -
- -
- -
Cash 186,000
933.3% 18,000
100.0% 9,000
Total Fix Assets 6,000
- 6,000
20.0% 5,000
Total Current Assets 322,000
403.1% 64,000
-53.6% 138,000
Total Assets 328,000
368.6% 70,000
-51.0% 143,000
Total current liabilities 95,000
196.9% 32,000
-67.0% 97,000
Total long term liabilities - - - - -
Paid up equity - - - - -
Reserves - - - - -
Shareholders funds 233,000 513.2% 38,000 -17.4% 46,000
No Of Employees - - - - -
Key Ratios
04/02-03/03 04/01-03/02 04/00-03/01
Pre-tax profit margin - - -
Current ratio 3.39 2.00 1.42
Sales/ Net working capital 0.00 0.00 0.00
Gearing % 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Equity in % 71.0% 54.3% 32.2%
Trend
Profitability
Liquidity
Shareholders Funds
_______________________________________
Name RISK ANALYSIS (UK) LIMITED
Number 03604666
Rating (0 to 100)
79 Very Good Credit Worthiness
Last Changed 08/11/2002
Rating History
Date Rating Description
08/11/2002 79 Very
Good Credit Worthiness
30/01/2002 69 Good
Credit Worthiness
10/12/2001 58 Good
Credit Worthiness
15/11/2001 58 Good
Credit Worthiness
08/09/2001 58 Good
Credit Worthiness
Rating Explanation
Rating Description
71-100 Very Good
Credit Worthiness
51-70 Good Credit
Worthiness
40-50 Credit Worthy
21-39 Credit Against
Collateral
0-20 Not Credit
Worthy
Newly estabished
Company's age is less that 18 months
Liquidated/Wound-up
Company is liquidated or is wound-up
Dissolved Company
is dissolved
Petition Petition
has been filed
Credit Limit £ 30,000
____________________________________________________
Telephone Number 0207 024 8350
Fax Number 0207 024 8351
Registered Address 7 APPLE TREE YARD
Trading Address 11 Waterloo Place
LONDON
Post Code SW1Y 6LD
Post Code SW1Y 4AU
Region Region 14
Previous Name(s)
Company Type Private Limited
Type of Accounts Total Exemption Small Incorporation Date
27/07/1998
Annual Return Date 01/07/2003 Date of Latest Accounts 31/03/2003
SIC Code - Description 74600
Industry
_______________________________________
Profit & Loss Account
Annual Accounts 04/02-03/03 Change
04/01-03/02 Change 04/00-03/01
Months 12 - 12 - 12
Currency GBP - GBP - GBP
Consolidated A/cs N - N - N
Turnover - - -
- -
Export -
- -
- -
Cost of Sales -
- -
- -
Gross Profit -
- -
- -
Wages & Salaries -
- -
- -
Directors Emoluments -
- -
- -
Operating Profits -
- -
- -
Depreciation -
- -
- -
Audit Fees -
- -
- -
Interest Payments -
- -
- -
Pre tax profit -
- -
- -
Taxation -
- -
- -
Profit after tax - - - - -
Dividends Payable -
- -
- -
Retained Profits -
- -
- -
_________________________________
Balance Sheet Items
Annual Accounts 04/02-03/03
Change 04/01-03/02 Change 04/00-03/01
Tangible Assets 6,000
- 6,000
20.0% 5,000
Intangible Assets -
- -
- -
Total Fix Assets 6,000
- 6,000
20.0% 5,000
Total Current Assets 322,000
403.1% 64,000
-53.6% 138,000
Trade Debtors 136,000
195.7% 46,000
-64.3% 129,000
Stock -
- -
- -
Cash 186,000
933.3% 18,000
100.0% 9,000
Other Current Assets 186,000
933.3% 18,000
100.0% 9,000
Net Cash 186,000
933.3% 18,000
100.0% 9,000
Increase in Cash -
- -
- -
Liquid Assets 322,000
403.1% 64,000
-53.6% 138,000
Miscellaneous Current Assets -
- -
- -
Total Assets 328,000
368.6% 70,000
-51.0% 143,000
Total current liabilities 95,000
196.9% 32,000
-67.0% 97,000
Trade Creditors 95,000
196.9% 32,000
-67.0% 97,000
Bank Overdraft -
- -
- -
Other Short Term Fin -
- -
- -
Miscellaneous Current Liabilities -
- -
- -
Other Long Term Fin -
- -
- -
Total long term Liabilities -
- -
- -
Bank Overdraft & LTL -
- -
- -
Total Liabilities 95,000
196.9% 32,000
-67.0% 97,000
Net Assets 233,000
513.2% 38,000
-17.4% 46,000
Working Capital 227,000
609.4% 32,000
-22.0% 41,000
_________________________________
Capital & Reserves
Annual Accounts 04/02-03/03
Change 04/01-03/02
Change 04/00-03/01
Paid up equity -
- -
- -
P&L Account Reserve 213,000
460.5% 38,000
-17.4% 46,000
Sundry Reserves - - - - -
Revaluation Reserve -
- -
- -
Share Capital & Other Reserves 20,000
- -
- -
Shareholders funds 233,000
513.2% 38,000
-17.4% 46,000
Net Worth 233,000
513.2% 38,000
-17.4% 46,000
______________________________________________
Miscellaneous
Annual Accounts 04/02-03/03
Change 04/01-03/02 Change
04/00-03/01
Net Cashflow from Operations -
- -
- -
Net Cashflow before Financing -
- -
- -
Net Cashflow from Financing -
- -
- -
Contingent Liability -
- -
- -
Capital Employed 233,000
513.2% 38,000
-17.4% 46,000
No Of Employees -
- -
- -
Auditors
Audit Qualification
Bankers
Bank Branch Code
_______________________________________________
Ratios Key Ratios
04/02-03/03 04/01-03/02 04/00-03/01
Pre-tax profit margin % - - -
Current ratio 3.39 2.00 1.42
Sales/ Net working capital 0.00 0.00 0.00
Gearing % 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Equity in % 71.0% 54.3% 32.2%
Creditors Days - - -
Debtors Days - - -
Liquidity/Acid Test 3.39 2.00 1.42
Return on Capital Employed % 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Return on Total Assets Employed % 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Current Debt Ratio % 0.4% 0.8% 2.1%
Total Debt Ratio % 0.4% 0.8% 2.1%
Stock Turnover Ratio % - - -
Return on Net Assets Employed % 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
____________________________________________
Name CHRISTOPHER JOHN BERNARD DAVY
Officers title
Date of Birth 25-07-1935
Honours CB
Address
PO BOX 2661
SHERBORNE
DORSET
Nationality BRITISH
Directorships
Org.number Company Name Status Function
03604666 RISK ANALYSIS (UK) LIMITED Director
Name LUCY CARMEL GOW
Officers title
Date of Birth 26-08-1965
Honours
Address
HOLLY HOUSE
WHILTON
DAVENTRY
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Nationality BRITISH
Directorships
Org.number Company Name Status Function
03604666 RISK ANALYSIS (UK) LIMITED Director
03604666 RISK ANALYSIS (UK) LIMITED Secretary