§ MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the President of the Board of Education, the Paymaster-General, the Secretary of State for India, the Under-Secretary of State 234 for India, the Under-Secretary of State for War, the Secretary to the Admiralty, the hon. Member for Saffron Walden, a Lord of the Treasury, the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, and Lords Granville and Denman, Lords in Waiting, have been recently directors of public companies, holding directorships of the Canada Life Insurance Company, of the Great North of Scotland Railway, of the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company, of the Royal Bank of Scotland, of the Western Assurance Company, of the London and Provincial Bank, of the National Provident Institution, of the Anglo-Californian Bank, of the Great Northern, Piccadilly, and Brompton Railway Company, of the Star Life Assurance Society, of Sir Joseph Causton and Sons, Limited, of the Scarborough Electric Supply Company, of the Artisans', Labourers', and General Dwellings Company, of Western Mansions, Limited, of Pease and Partners, Limited, of the British Columbia Land and Investment Agency, Limited, of the Wouldham Cement Company, of the Lilleshall Company, Limited, and of the International Tea Company's Stores, Limited; and whether in view of their duties as Ministers of the Crown, he will say whether these Ministers of the Crown have resigned from the above-named companies; and, if so, will he give the date of such resignations.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe condition which was laid down on the formation of the Government was that all directorships held by Ministers must be resigned except in the case of honorary directorships, directorships in connection with philanthropic undertakings, and directorships in private companies. Every member of the Government has either complied with this understanding or is in process of complying with it. I do not think it is necessary to say more except to add that my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for India, whose name is mentioned in the Question, has never held a directorship, and the same remark applies to my hon. friend the Civil Lord of the Admiralty.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYsaid the name of the Civil Lord or the Admiralty appeared in error. It should have been Secretary of the Board of Trade. He asked whether the process of resignation was still in 235 course of being carried out, and, if so, when it would be completed.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI do not know that the process of resigning is complete. Sometimes it is necessary or desirable or convenient to go on until the annual meeting is held, or some occasion of that sort. It is not desirable that these things should be done in an inconvenient way. The purpose will be carried out to the full.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYWill the right hon. Gentleman give a list of the drectorships in private companies held by members of the Government.
§ MR. WILLIAM RUTHERFORDMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the International Tea Company is a philanthropic society?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI should say that depends on the quality of its tea.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLMay I ask the Prime Minister whether he intends to introduce legislation to give effect to the excellent rule he has laid down, having regard to the fact that among the the members of the late Government no fewer seventy-one company directorships were held.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI hope that legislation will not be necessary. A good example has been set.