§ 2.46 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) whether they will state the amount of the personal property, steel, iron and coal producing assets of Herr Alfred Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach which has now been sold, and to what persons or concerns; (2) whether any of the assets have been sold to members of Herr Krupp's family or to persons acting on his behalf; and (3) what deconcentration measures have so far been taken by the Federal authorities in accordance with provisions in the agreed plan.]
762THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF GOSFORD)My Lords, on the first part of the Question, the position is that which I described to your Lordships on December 11, 1957. The Emscher-Lippe mine was sold to a German State-owned Company, the Hibernia Aktiengesellschaft, in 1954 for some £2.3 million. Krupp's controlling interest in the Constantin der Grosse mine was sold for some £3 million in 1956 to the Bochumer Verein. And stock owned by Krupp in two subsidiaries was disposed of in 1953. I cannot state its value, but I hope that this will be included in the fuller information which the Federal Government are to provide.
As regards the second part of the noble Viscount's Question, the deconcentration plan provided for the equal division of the stock in the two subsidiaries to which I have referred, between a sister of Herr Krupp and, in trust, a nephew of Herr Krupp who was then a minor. To the best of my knowledge, none of the other assets have been sold to members of Herr Krupp's family or to persons acting on his behalf.
As for the third part of the Question, deconcentration measures are in the first place a matter for the disposition trustees in accordance with the provisions of the plan. The trustees have disposed of the assets I have enumerated, and the five-year disposition periods still have a year to run. The approach of the Federal Government to the three Western Governments early in 1957 about the difficulties now being experienced shows that they are alive to their responsibilities under the Bonn Settlement Convention.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I beg to thank the noble Earl for his comprehensive reply. Arising out of it, may I ask him this further question? Having regard to the fact that on December 11 the noble Earl informed me that Her Majesty's Government were fully aware of the importance of the question of the decentralisation of the Krupp assets, may I now ask him whether, in any consultations with the French and the American Governments, the policy of Her Majesty's Government will be, and will so be stated, that Herr Krupp should not be released from any of his undertakings under the 1953 Agreement?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, as I told the noble Viscount on December 11, we are considering these issues along with the French and United States Governments, and we are awaiting fuller information from the West German Government. I feel that whilst these talks are going on I cannot make any statement, one way or the other, which could in any way prejudice the result of the talks.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl, but, as he has said that, may I ask him whether any direct approaches have been made on behalf of Herr Krupp by the West German Government to Her Majesty's Government, and if so, what was their nature?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, the West German Government have made no approaches to Her Majesty's Government specifically on the question of Herr Krupp; the only approaches made have been about the decentralisation question as a whole.