§ 38. Sir H. Legge-Bourkeasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied with the progress made with winding-up the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board; how many priority creditors have been involved and how far their entitlements have still to be met fully; which outside firms are employed in the winding-up; what is the estimated final settlement figure in shillings in the £ sterling; how long the operations are expected to take since their initiation; and what is the anticipated cost to public funds.
§ Mr. DellI am satisfied that, having regard to the difficulties experienced by the liquidator in realising the amounts due to the Board, there has been no avoidable delay. He paid the five preferential creditors in full by January, 1965. He has employed a firm of solicitors and an auctioneer. Three dividends, totalling 16s. in the £, have so far been paid to unsecured creditors and the liquidator hopes to pay within six months a fourth and final dividend of about 6d. in the £. But that time the liquidation will have taken about 5½ years to complete. The costs, charges and expenses of the liquidation are payable out of the realisations and no part of them has formed or is expected to form a charge on public funds.