§ 49. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Production if he can give the latest output figures compared to each war year; the number of firms where the Government have appointed directors in the national interest; who has paid the directors; and the amounts they have received in each case.
§ The Minister of Production (Mr. Lyttelton)As the answer is rather long and 1772 contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ It is not yet possible to add any further output figures to the very full record of all fields of activity which was contained in the White Paper on Statistics relating to the War Effort of the U.K. As promised in that paper, additional informaton will be published from time to time. As regards the second part of the Question, there are at present 11 firms to which for various reasons the Government have appointed directors. A total of 37 directors have been nominated, 13 of whom are unpaid. The remainder are paid directors' fees by the companies concerned, and I am informed that the total amounts for the firms are:
| Number of paid directors per firm. | Total fees paid by firms. | |||
| £ | ||||
| 3 | … | … | … | 900 |
| 3 | … | … | … | 1,200 |
| 2 | … | … | … | 700 |
| 3 | … | … | … | 400 |
| 3 | … | … | … | 500 |
| 3 | … | … | … | 150 |
| 3 | … | … | … | 500 |
| 4 | … | … | … | 250 |
| 24 | … | … | … | £4,600 |
§ These figures do not include directors appointed by negotiation to the boards of privately owned companies.
§ 50. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Production if he can make a full statement giving the total amount of public funds which have been, or are to be, expended by way of advances or grants of a capital nature or in providing assets for the use of companies; and the amount of expenditure on agency and shadow factories and on ordnance factories.
§ Mr. LytteltonAs the answer contains a table of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The total of approved expenditure from public funds on war factory buildings since the beginning of the re-armament 1773 period is £864,633,000, made up as follows:
| Total. | |
| £ | |
| Capital Assistance Schemes: | |
| Contributory | 22,025,000 |
| Non-Contributory | 404,358,000 |
| Agency and Shadow Factories | 256,400,000 |
| Government (i.e. Ordnance) Factories | 181,850,000 |
| £864,633,000 |
§ The principle of contributory schemes of capital assistance is that the Government make a contribution (usually limited to 60 per cent.) and contractors retain the ownership of the assets.
§ The principle of non-contributory capital assistance schemes is that the Government bear the whole cost and retain the ownership of the assets.
§ These figures relate to capital expenditure covering buildings and plant.
§ 76. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will issue a White Paper showing the increase in productive capacity in each industry over the 1935 capacity and the production per man hours where possible, the trends in productivity, overall output figures and output figures by industries and sections of industries, in order that an economic analysis may be made with a view to the preparation of a constructive economic policy for industry.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (Captain Waterhouse)Some information on these matters is contained in the White Paper on Statistics relating to the War Effort of the United Kingdom. So wide a study as that suggested by my hon. Friend would involve the collection and correlation of a very large amount of material, and I regret that it is not possible to undertake such a task in present circumstances.