HC Deb 25 February 1930 vol 235 cc2024-6
19. Mr. MUGGERIDGE

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a complete Return of those companies to whom exception has been granted from the obligations imposed by Sub-section (1) of Section 145 of the Companies Act, 1929, and the corresponding Section of the Business Names Act, 1916, giving particulars of the names, former and present, of all directors of such companies?

Mr. W. GRAHAM

I do not think that the value of the Return would justify the large amount of labour which its preparation would involve. I would remind my hon. Friend that full particulars of the name and any former names of directors of any particular company can be found on the company's file, which is open to public inspection at the office of the Registrar of Companies in London or Edinburgh, as the case may be.

27. Mr. RAMSBOTHAM

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Solicitor to the Board of Trade is taking any steps to detect or prevent evasion of Section 128 (1) (c) of the Companies, 1929, or whether he proposes to allow this Section to become inoperative until there is an Amendment passed to remedy the unforeseen flaw or loophole in the Act of 1929?

Mr. GRAHAM

I shall be happy to consider any evidence brought to my notice of evasion of this Section in specific cases. I have no reason to think that the Section is inoperative.

22. Sir HERBERT NIELD

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that 2,600 companies are at present in default in filing their balance sheets, he will, in future, publish in the Board of Trade Journal once every month the total of such defaulters, so that the results of the action of the solicitor to the Board of Trade may be seen?

Mr. GRAHAM

As was indicated by the Parliamentary Secretary on 18th February, the first steps in this matter are taken by the Registrar, and it is only necessary to refer oases to the Solicitor to the Board of Trade where the Registrar himself fails to secure the re- turn. In these circumstances I doubt whether any useful purpose would be served at this stage by the preparation and publication of the figures asked for in the question, but I appreciate the point which the right hon. Gentleman has in mind, and I will consider later the desirability of taking action on the lines suggested by him.

Mr. DAY

Is the figure in the question correct?

Mr. GRAHAM

It is approximately correct.

Mr. KIRKWOOD

That means that 2,600 companies have defaulted. Does not that show the failure of private enterprise?