§ Sir J. LONSDALEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state how many enemy alien firms have been placed under control; in how many cases have winding-up orders been made; and how many of these have been actually and finally wound up?
§ Mr. PRETYMANI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentford on the 17th October, of which I am sending him a copy. I may add that in fully half the 330 cases of firms ordered to be wound up the realisation is completed except for the collection of some outstanding book debts.
Sir H. DALZIELasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that on the 26th October, 1915, the 240W day following his statement with regard to the position of Arthur Wilson Peck and Company, Limited, of Sheffield and Nottingham, and Hopkinson's Successors, Limited, Leeds, to the effect that the Board of Trade were considering as to whether these businesses should now be wound up under Section 1 of the Trading With the Enemy (Amendment) Act, 1916, an advertisement was published stating that Hopkinson's Successors, Limited, was owned managed, and staffed by British only; and whether, in view of the fact that more than half of the issued capital still belongs to Edwin Bechstein, an alien enemy, this attempt to mislead the public as to the ownership of the business will be taken into consideration by the Advisory Committee when these businesses come up for consideration?
§ Mr. PRETYMANI have seen the advertisement referred to by the right hon. Gentleman, and I am bringing it to the attention of the Advisory Committee.