§ Mr. G. Straussasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the acquisition by Mr. Rank, on behalf of Odeon Theatres, of the Paramount companies operating in London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Birmingham and his recent offer to buy all the ordinary and deferred shares in Metropolitan Cinema Investments Corporation were made with his consent; and whether they are in conformity with the assurance given to him by Mr. Rank and announced in July that he would not acquire additional cinemas or studios without the consent of the Board of Trade?
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§ Mr. DaltonI am informed that the purchases by Odeon Theatres, Ltd., of the Paramount companies to which my hon. Friend refers, were completed in August, 1942. Negotiations regarding the shares in Metropolitan Cinema Investment Corporation, Ltd., were far advanced last June and are among those to the conclusion of which I consented in my letter to Mr. Rank of 28th June.