HC Deb 20 April 1931 vol 251 cc589-91
22. Mr. A. M. SAMUEL

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which foreign Governments have, within the past 12 months, approached His Majesty's Government on the subject of Suez Canal dues and have suggested that in the case of the refusal of the Suez Canal Company to reduce the scale of canal dues the matter should be referred to the League of Nations?

Mr. A. HENDERSON

Inquiries, mostly of an unofficial nature, have recently been made by the German, Italian, Belgian, Netherlands, Swedish and Norwegian Governments as to whether His Majesty's Government proposed to take any action to secure a reduction of the Suez Canal dues. No suggestion has, however, been made that the question should be referred to the League of Nations.

Mr. SAMUEL

Has the right hon. Gentleman given any reply to those friendly representations?

Mr. HENDERSON

After all, the purport of the question here is whether it shall be referred to the League of Nations, and no suggestion to that effect has yet been made.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Is it not a fact that there has been a reduction recently in the dues?

Mr. HENDERSON

Not that I am aware of.

Mr. WISE

Can the right hon. Gentleman gay whether any instructions have been given by the British Government to the British Government representatives on the board in regard to the reduction of dues?

Mr. HENDERSON

I must have notice of that question.

Sir HERBERT SAMUEL

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has had any communication with British shipping interests in this matter?

Mr. HENDERSON

No, not At the moment.

Mr. SAMUEL

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that British shipping interests have made very strong direct representations to the Suez Canal Company itself?

Mr. HENDERSON

That may be.

25. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the names of the unofficial British directors on the board of the Suez Canal Company; the dates of their appointment; and the amount of their remuneration?

Mr. A. HENDERSON

The unofficial British directors of the Suez Canal Company are:

  • Lord Inchcape (appointed in 1904).
  • Mr. T. Harrison Hughes (appointed in 1919).
  • Sir E. Wyldbore Smith (appointed in 1920).
  • Sir R. Horne (appointed in 1923).
  • Sir Alan G. Anderson (appointed in 1927).
  • Sir J. Cadman (appointed in 1927).
  • Sir T. Royden (appointed in 1929).
The emoluments of all directors of the company, who number 32, are the same. In accordance with the statutes of the company, 2 per cent. of its net profits are reserved for payment of the directors, whose emoluments consequently vary from year to year. The net profits for 1929–30 were approximately £6,000,000, and the total sum paid to the directors was, therefore, approximately £120,000.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Does not that answer show that the directors have an interest in keeping up the dues if they are remunerated according to the profits, and is not that a very unsatisfactory position with regard to the directors for whom we are responsible?

Sir. H. SAMUEL

Are we to gather that each director receives a sum of about £4,000 a year, and that such sum will increase if the net profits of the company increase?

Mr. HENDERSON

That is obviously the case and, I think that the sum mentioned by the right hon. Gentleman is approximately what they receive.

Mr. A. M. SAMUEL

Is not the broad question of the methods of the administration of the Suez Canal Company needing an overhaul?