§ Lieut. -Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is a ware that the masters in the employ of the British Tanker Company, which is a subsidiary of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, in addition to receiving inferior conditions of pay and pension to masters having similar appointments in the Anglo-Saxon and Burma Oil Companies, are engaged in one of the worst climates in the world, for which no special consideration is shown them; that no wages are payable during any period in hospital; that masters' holidays are at the owners' discretion and that masters are usually allowed only one day's leave for each month's service; and whether, in view of the fact that His Majesty's Government own the controlling number of shares in the Anglo-Persian Company, he will take steps to effect an improvement in this state of affairs?
§ Mr. SNOWDENAs I stated in reply to the hon. and gallant Member on the 26th February last, His Majesty's Government are pledged not to interfere in the commercial management of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. I could not therefore properly take steps as suggested in the last part of the question, but must not be taken as accepting as correct the statements made in the earlier parts of the question.