§ Sir E. CORNWALLasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will circulate to the House a statement giving a complete list of enemy businesses and firms with any share of enemy interest 628W trading in this country before the War and showing in each case how they have been dealt with?
§ Mr. PRETYMANI am not in a position to furnish a statement in the form asked for by my hon. Friend. Lists of businesses in which the interest of enemy subjects was preponderant and which have been dealt with by Orders for prohibition or winding-up are presented to Parliament from time to time and are published in the "Gazette" and in the "Board of Trade Journal." Three hundred and fifty-six such Orders have been made up to the present. I will also lay on the Table of the House a list of the shares belonging to enemy subjects which have been vested in the Public Trustee for purposes of sale.
§ Major HUNTasked how many and which enemy businesses in this country sold by the Public Trustee to British, Allied, or neutral subjects are still under the direction, management, or control of Germans or Austrians or German- or Austrian-born subjects?
§ Mr. PRETYMANSo far as I am aware, the only case of an enemy business disposed of by the Public Trustee by a sale of shares in which persons of enemy birth now have a controlling interest is A. Wassermann and Sons, Limited. In that case British-born purchasers for the whole of the shares held by enemies could not be found, and, in accordance with the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, some of these shares were sold to a naturalised British subject of enemy origin who already held a large number of the shares and has the control of the company.