Mr. POINTERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the compulsory winding up of the Pomona Haulage Company, Limited; whether the Co-operative Banking and Investment Society, Limited, and other similar societies, all registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act, 1893, are or were ventures of a similar character run by the same individuals; whether he is aware that in December, 1909, the attention of the Chief Registrar was called to the matter at a time when at least one of their ventures was in liquidation; will he state what action the Chief Registrar took in the matter; and whether full inquiry will be 1809 made into the operations of the persons who trade as the Pomona Haulage Compay, Limited?
Mr. BUXTONI have ascertained that a company called the Pomona Haulage Company, Limited, was ordered to be compulsorily wound up at Manchester on the 15th March. A full inquiry is always made into the affairs of every company ordered by the court to be wound up compulsorily, and an inquiry will be made in the ordinary course into the affairs of the Pomona Haulage Company, Limited. The rest of the question relates to societies registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act. These societies are outside the province of the Board of Trade, and the part of my hon. Friend's question which relates to them should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary to the Treasury.