§ 47. Mr. MARCUS SAMUELasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether in view of the numerous similarities between and the identical trading methods of co-operative societies and limited liability companies he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation to secure that the names and addresses of members of co-operative societies shall be registered and disclosed in the some way as those of members of limited liability companies?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Duff Cooper)The Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, under which co-operative societies are registered, already provide for the books containing the names of the members to be open to inspection by persons interested. Disclosure of names and addresses of members, by the method laid down for limited liability companies, is not appropriate to these societies, as the holdings of the majority of members are of trivial amount, but the question of introducing some alternative method of disclosure to persons interested will be considered in connection with any suitable amending legislation.
§ Mr. RHYS DAVIESIn view of the fact that about 7,000,000 names and addresses would be involved in this proposal, will the hon. Gentleman discourage any suggestion of the kind?