§ 40. Sir E. CARSONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Prize Claims Committee have made any awards in respect of claims against ships or cargo condemned in the Prize Court; and, if so, whether such awards will be made public?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir John Simon)The right hon. Gentleman will permit me to reply to this question. The Prize Claims Committee has investigated a number of claims and arrived at a provisional decision upon them, but no awards can be made until certain, outstanding questions connected with the Prize Funds have been settled.
§ Sir E. CARSONThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the last part of my question. Will the awards be made public? May I also ask him: will those sums which are paid as awards be taken out of the money otherwise given as prize money to the Navy?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe right hon. Gentleman puts two further questions. I understood the last part of his question to be governed by the words "if so"—if any awards have been made, whether they will be made public? My answer was: No awards have been made. As to whether the awards will be made public, there is no doubt that they will have to be made public as soon as they are finally determined upon. The second question as to the fund out of which the money would come is one of the matters which are now under consideration both in respect of the funds in this country and the corresponding funds throughout the Empire.
§ Mr. R. McNEILLWhat is the position of the Prize Claims Committee? Is it a Committee of Appeal from the Prize Court?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo, it is not a Court of Appeal from the Prize Court. It is a Committee appointed in order to ascertain what charges British subjects may have over goods which may come into the Prize Court otherwise many British subjects would find themselves deprived of what is, in effect, their property, because that property is condemned in the Prize Court.
§ Mr. McNEILLThose are the facts the Prize Court itself ascertains?
§ Sir J. SIMONFrom a very long course of practice the Prize Court itself pays no attention to that, so that if a German ship worth £60,000 is mortgaged for £50,000 to an Englishman, the German ship is condemned, the Englishman would lose his £50,000, unless special provision is made.
§ Sir E. CARSONAre there any rules laid down upon which this Committee is to adjudicate, or is it left entirely at large to do entirely what the members think proper?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe Committee is instructed to report to the Treasury, and when that report is made it has got to be considered from the financial point of view by the Treasury.
§ Sir E. CARSONAre there any rules governing the ultimate destination of the money which otherwise would be prize money for the Navy?
§ Sir J. SIMONI have told the right hon. Gentleman that that is one of the matters which is under consideration. It is not possible, of course, for the Prize Claims Committee to lay down what shall go to the Navy or not; that must be a matter of general policy. All the Committee has to do is to investigate the value of the claims made by British subjects and neutrals who have charges over cargoes and ships which come before the Prize Courts. They merely have to report upon the amounts.
§ Mr. McNEILLIs that confined to British ships?