HC Deb 15 February 1949 vol 461 cc160-2W
Mr. Chetwynd

asked the Minister of Supply which of the individual firms in the Third Schedule to the Iron and Steel Bill have increased their dividends since 1945; and what is the amount of such increases.

Mr. G. R. Strauss

There are 47 public limited liability companies named in the Third Schedule to the Iron and Steel Bill, but all the ordinary share capital of six of them is held by other Third Schedule companies. Of the remaining 41 public companies, 26 have paid increased dividends since 1945 and in seven of these cases one increase has been followed by

PUBLIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES NAMED IN THE THIRD SCHEDULE TO THE IRON AND STEEL BILL INCREASES IN DIVIDENDS PAID ON ORDINARY ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL SINCE 1945
Name Year ends Years ending in
1945 1946 1947 1948
Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
Arthur Lee & sons Ltd 31st July 40 40 45 45
Bairds & Scottish Steel Ltd. 31st December 6 10 10 N.A.
Barrow Haematite Steel Co. Ltd. 31st December 10 12½ 12½ N.A.
The Briton Ferry Steel Co. Ltd. 31st March 10 10 15 15
Brown Bayley's Steel Works Ltd. 3lst July 10 tax free 10 tax free 12 tax free 12 tax free
Burnell & Co. Ltd. 31st December 15 20 30 N.A.
Cargo Fleet Iron Co. Ltd. 30th September Nil 5 5 5
Colvilles Ltd. 31st December 8 8 13 N.A.
Consett Iron Co. Ltd. 31st March 10 10 12½ 12½
Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Ltd. 3Ist March 5 5 9 9
The Hallamshire Steel and File Co. Ltd. 3Ist March 25 tax free 25 tax free =45½ less tax 32½ tax free =59 less tax. 70 less tax
John Baker & Bessemer Ltd. 31st December 10 15 30 N.A.
The Lancashire Steel Corporation Ltd. 31st December 7 8 8 N.A.
The Lilleshall Co. Ltd. 31st December Nil 20 40 N.A.
The Park Gate Iron and Steel Co. Ltd 3Ist March 8 8 10 10
Partridge Jones & John Paton Ltd. 31st March 4 tax free 4½ tax free 7½ less tax 5 less tax
Richard Hill Ltd. 30th September 6 8 20 20
Richard Johnson & Nephew Ltd. 31st March 9 9 15 15
Richard Thomas & Baldwins Ltd. 31st March 12½ 12½ 15 15
The Sheffield Forge and Rolling Mills Co. Ltd. 30th June 5 10 15 15
The Skinningrove Iron Co. Ltd. 31st March Nil Nil Nil 5
South Durham Steel and Iron Co. Ltd.
(Ordinary) 30th September 8½ 8½ 8½ 10
("B" Ordinary) 30th September 2½ 2½ 2½ 4
The Staveley Coal and Iron Co. Ltd. 30th June 7 tax free 10 tax free 12½ tax free 12½ tax free
Thos. Firth & John Brown Ltd. 31st December 7½ tax free 10 tax free 10 tax free N.A.
The Whitehead Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. 3Ist March 20 20 30 30
William Beardmore & Co. Ltd. 31st December 10 17½ 17½ N.A.
All dividends are less tax unless otherwise stated, and exclude capital dividends.
N.A. = Not available.

a further increase. The annual increases range from ½ per cent. to 20 per cent. and I append a statement showing the increased dividends paid by each company. There are also 60 private companies named in the Third Schedule, but information about the dividends paid by them is not available to me.

Following is the statement