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Former Carillion chief executive Richard Howson and ex-finance director Richard Adam are among several Carillion directors being hauled in by MPs next month to explain the company鈥檚 collapse.

Also joining Howson (pictured), who left as chief executive last July following an 拢845m writedown, and Adam, who retired after nearly 10 years in the role at the end of 2016, in the spotlight will be Keith Cochrane, the firm鈥檚 interim chief executive at the time Carillion went under, along with its chairman Philip Green 鈥� who took up the post in May 2014 鈥� whose job it was to tell the Stock Exchange last Monday the contractor had gone bust.

Adam鈥檚 successors Zafar Khan, who quit the business last September after just nine months in the role, and his replacement, Emma Mercer, are being asked to appear before MPs as well.

Parliament鈥檚 pensions and business committees said today they have launched a joint inquiry into the group鈥檚 demise.

Business committee chair, Labour MP Rachel Reeves, said: 鈥淎s a committee we will also want to explore the executive pay arrangements at Carillion, the potential cost to the taxpayer of the insolvency, and the role of both directors and non-executive directors in the company鈥檚 collapse.鈥�

Both select committees have said they want to know how a company that was signed off by KPMG as a going concern in spring 2017 could crash into liquidation with a reported 拢5bn of liabilities and just 拢29m in the bank just nine months later.

Pensions committee chair, veteran Labour MP Frank Field, added: 鈥淚t must also be time now for the auditors who cosily signed off this disaster-in-the-making as a 鈥榞oing concern鈥� less than a year ago to begin to account for themselves.鈥�

In 2016, Carillion paid 拢78.9m of shareholder dividends from the previous year鈥檚 profits, exceeding the 拢73m it generated in cash from operations. It paid a further dividend of 拢54m in June 2017 just one month before its first profit warning.

Despite a rising pension scheme deficit, Carillion contributed only 拢51m in 2016, 拢3m lower than the previous year, and 拢27.9m less than it allocated for dividends over the same period.

Howson and Adam, who both resigned from non-exec director roles at other companies last week, will be called to the inquiry on 6 February along with Cochrane, Green, Khan and Mercer.

The Insolvency Service, which last week ceased payments to Carillion executives, and the Financial Reporting Council will also be called at an earlier hearing next week as questions remain over the strength of corporate governance at the company. Robin Ellison, the chair of Carillion鈥檚 pension scheme, will also appear at the hearing next Tuesday.