§ Mr. GWYNNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether Mr. George von Chauvin and Mr. Carl von Siemens are still managing director and director of Messrs. Siemens Brothers and Company; and whether this firm is still doing Government work?
§ Mr. PRETYMANMr. George Chauvin is the managing director of Siemens Brothers and Company, Limited, but Mr. Carl von Siemens is no longer a director of the company. The firm is a controlled establishment doing Government work, and is under a supervisor.
§ Mr. GWYNNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether Messrs. Siemens Brothers and Company are carrying on four distinct branches in this country, namely, dynamo works at Stafford, cable works at Woolwich, electric lamp works at Dalston, and head offices and export works at Caxton House, West- 84W minster; whether Messrs. Siemens Brothers, previous to the war, had branches in Germany and other countries; whether those branches are still in existence; and what national interest is served by permitting this firm to continue to carry on an export trade in this country?
§ Mr. PRETYMANThe answer to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question is in the affirmative. The owners of the company's shares carried on a similar business in Germany. Siemens Brothers Dynamo Works, Limited, has branches in the Dominions, which are still in existence. It is greatly to the national interest that this business should be acquired by those British firms who can make the best use of it for the future development of the electrical industry in this country. Active steps to that end are now in progress, and meantime it is clearly necessary that the business should be fully maintained.