§ 22. Mr. A. M. SAMUELasked 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. HENDERSONInquiries, 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. SAMUELHas the right hon. Gentleman given any reply to those friendly representations?
Mr. HENDERSONAfter 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 KENWORTHYIs it not a fact that there has been a reduction recently in the dues?
§ Mr. WISECan the right hon. Gentleman gay whether any instructions have been given by the British Government to the British Government representatives 590 on the board in regard to the reduction of dues?
§ Sir HERBERT SAMUELCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has had any communication with British shipping interests in this matter?
§ Mr. SAMUELIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that British shipping interests have made very strong direct representations to the Suez Canal Company itself?
§ 25. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked 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. HENDERSONThe unofficial British directors of the Suez Canal Company are:
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.
- 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).
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDoes 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. SAMUELAre 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. HENDERSONThat is obviously the case and, I think that the sum mentioned by the right hon. Gentleman is approximately what they receive.
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUELIs not the broad question of the methods of the administration of the Suez Canal Company needing an overhaul?