§ 12. Mr. BOOTHasked the hon. Member for the Saffron Walden Division, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if a contract has recently been 809 given to the Union Cable Company, Limited; and, if so, will he state what are the names of the directors and who is the principal shareholder?
§ Mr. BECK (Lord of the Treasury)Yes, Sir. The principal holding is in German hands. The managing director is an Englishman, the other four directors are German. The action of the Office of Works in this matter is in accordance with the policy laid down for them, in common with other Departments, by His Majesty's Government in the Trading with the Enemy Act.
§ Mr. BOOTHIs my hon. Friend aware that the directors are Bernard Hirsch-man, Siegfried Hirschman, Julius Hirschman, and Moritz Kreemar, and that the Deutsche Kabelwerke Allgemeine Gessellschaft of Berlin holds 48,218 shares out of a total of 50,000?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is asking for a number of details.
§ Mr. BOOTHMay I draw your attention, Sir, to the fact that in my question I asked for the names of the directors, but the hon. Member has declined to give them because they are German?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member appears to know them.
§ Mr. BOOTHI made a search in Somerset House and I want to know if the Office of Works are aware of this, and I think I am entitled to ask that?
§ Mr. BECKIn my reply I distinctly stated that the managing director is an Englishman, Mr. Blackwood, and the other four directors are Germans. I should have been very much surprised if they had English names, being Germans. The works are in Essex, a number of English people are employed, and not a penny of any kind goes to Germany.