HC Deb 10 June 1915 vol 72 cc375-6
Sir A. MARKHAM

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has this morning had a sight of a letter dated 20th January, 1915, written by the Custodis Company, Limited, stating that this company was an English limited company with British capital and British directors only; whether he has any information that the representative of this company has stated when seeking orders from British firms that not a penny of German capital was invested in this company, nor was any German connected in any way with the same; whether in view of his statement on Tuesday last that the majority of shares in this company were held by Germans, will he, in view of the false statements made by this company, prohibit them from carrying on any further business in this country either with Government Departments, municipal authorities or trading companies?

The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Runciman)

I have seen the letter from the Custodis Company, Limited, which is referred to, and I am informed that a representative of the company has stated that no German capital is invested in the company and that no German is connected with it in any way. The statement which I made last Tuesday with regard to German shareholding referred to the Alphons Custodis Chimney Construction Company, Limited, and not to the Custodis Company, Limited. I have no information that any shares of Custodis, Limited, are held by German subjects, and I believe that the two directors of that company are British subjects, one of whom is of German origin and was naturalised in the year 1897.

Sir A. MARKHAM

Is my right hon. Friend not aware that this is the same company trading under another name?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

No, I am not aware that it is the same company. The shareholding in the Alphons Custodis Chimney Construction Company, Limited, was largely in German hands. The shareholding of Custodis, Limited, is in English hands.

Sir A. MARKHAM

The company to which the hon. Member for Nottingham referred was Custodis, Limited. Is my right hon. Friend aware that that was the company which had a contract in Nottinghamshire to which the hon. Member was referring?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

I have no knowledge of the contracts which were held. I think the question asked was with regard to the Alphons Custodis Company. Custodis, Limited, is a different concern.