HC Deb 25 April 1950 vol 474 c783
68. Mr. Osborne

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he first gave American companies which invested capital in Britain under Economic Cooperation Administration the guarantee that their profits would be freely transferable to America and their capital freed from the threat of nationalisation; and in which industries have American companies taken advantage of those guarantees.

Sir S. Cripps

The Economic Co-operation Administration can guarantee that, if any participating country refuses the remittance of profits due to an American investor, or of the proceeds of the sale of, or compensation for, his capital, the United States Government will take over the foreign currency and pay the United States investor the dollar equivalent up to an agreed amount. Such guarantees can only be given if the participating country approves the investment as furthering the purposes of the Act, but the actual giving of the guarantees is entirely within the discretion of E.C.A. The nine United Kingdom cases in which E.C.A. guarantees have so far been given cover the manufacturing and light engineering industries.

Mr. Osborne

In those nine cases how many people are employed as a total?

Sir S. Cripps

The hon. Member would have to put that question on the Paper.