§ MR. McCRAE (Edinburgh, E.)To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state the annual value of the annuities payable to Britain in respect of the Chinese war indemnity; the total amount of private claims lodged by British subjects, the total amount of claims admitted; and further, on what basis of priority the several claims are being paid out of the annual instalments.
(Answered by Mr. Austen Chamberlain.) China disputes the claim of the Powers for payment of the indemnity in gold. The instalments received on account of the British share, converted into sterling, amounted:—For the year 1902 to £301,488; For the year 1903 to £314,157. The private claims lodged with the British Claims Commissioner amounted to £1,606,277, but they have been reduced on examination to £736,906. Almost the whole of the private claimants agreed to accept certificates entitling them to a pro rata distribution as the instalments are received. The distributions so far made amount to 75 per cent. of the private claims, exclusive of a number of small claims and death claims which have been paid off in full.