HC Deb 27 May 1935 vol 302 cc866-8

Further Amendments made In page 69, line 21, leave out from "the," to "shall," in line 23, and insert: holders of its shares, stock, debentures, debenture stock or bonds, and its officers, agents and servants.

In line 25, after "on," insert "or proposing to carry on.".

In line 28 after "company," insert: or the situation of its registered office, or the currency in which its capital or loan capital is expressed.

In line 32, leave out from the second "of," to "debentures," in line 33, and insert "the holders of its shares, stock.".

In line 34, after the first "or," insert "of.".

In line 41, leave out "trading," and insert "carrying on or proposing to carry on business."—[The Solicitor-General.]

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL

I beg to move, in page 70, line 2, after "from," to insert "or preferential treatment in respect of.".

8.12 p.m.

Sir H. CROFT

May I ask as to exactly what the Amendment means.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL

It is a drafting Amendment. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman will read the words at the top of the page: If and in so far as any total or partial exemption from or preferential treatment in respect of..

Sir H.CROFT

What is preferential treatment?

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Any preferential treatment. It will cover three things—total exemption, partial exemption and something which might produce the same result as exemption. It is a purely drafting Amendment to prevent any sort of getting round the intention of the Clause.

Amendment agreed to.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL

I beg to move, in page 70, line 4, leave out "paragraph (b) of."

On examination there seemed to be no particular reason why paragraph (b) should be singled out. We have also by Amendments which the House has just passed put in two more conditions, one dealing with the currency in which the balance-sheets and the accounts of a company are kept and the other with the position of its registered office, and it seems to us that there is no distinction to be drawn for the purposes of this Subsection between the various matters.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendment made: In page 70, line 8, after "exemption," insert "or preferential treatment."—[The Solicitor-General.]