§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the hon. Member for Wokingham, as representing the Church Commissioners, if he will list for each of the last five years the number of times the commissioners informally and confidentially approached companies in which they hold shares to discuss matters about the running of the company which cause the commissioners concern; and if he will detail the nature of these concerns.
§ Sir William van StraubenzeeThe number of companies the Commissioners have approached over the last five years is as follows:
Number 1980 16 1981 11 1982 15 1983 18 1984 21 As the question indicates such approaches (both in writing and at meetings) cover a wide range of social and ethical issues. They are made confidentially since the Commissioners are convinced that this is the most effective way to make them. In November 1984 the Commissioners did however announce that they had sold their investment in a major United States company, Carnation, because they had been unable to obtain satisfactory assurances regarding the working conditions of a proportion of its workforce in South Africa.