§ Mr. REMERasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he proposes to take steps in due course to amend Sections 112 and 123 of the Companies Act, 1929, in view of the fact that six months' working have proved that it is not possible to give full effect to the requirements of those Sections owing to difficulties of administration;
(2) whether, with regard to the duty of his Department to see that Sections 112 and 123 of the Companies Act, 1929, are observed, he will say to which branch or branches of the Board of Trade these duties fall; and will he also state the average number of staff, since November, 1929, engaged upon the duties connected with those two Sections and whether he proposes to reorganise that particular portion of his staff so as to deal with the difficulties of administering Sections 112 and 123 disclosed only since the Act came into operation in November last?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMOf the two Sections of the Companies Act, 1929, which are mentioned, one is not new, and neither of them provides any special machinery for securing that compliance or non-compliance with their provisions shall be reported to the Board of Trade. There is, therefore, no administration of these Sections in the ordinary sense of the word, and there is no special branch for dealing with them. The duty of seeing that general meetings are held at the proper time and the prescribed accounts submitted is a matter primarily for the shareholders. If, however, cases of noncompliance are brought by shareholders or others to the notice of the Board of Trade, and the circumstances justify it, such official action as is necessary is taken.