§ 18. Viscount CURZONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is delaying the payment of prize money to those officers and men entitled thereto; when it is expected that payment of the outstanding claims will be settled; and whether interest will be paid in addition to those officers and men whose payments have been so greatly delayed since the date of their first payment?
§ Sir J. CRAIGPayment of prize money is proceeding as rapidly as possible, and it is hoped that the present issue will be practically completed early in 1921. There is no provision for the payment of interest on individual shares. The method of dealing with claimants in sections has been adopted to obviate the useless accumulation in office of claims, certificates for service, etc. It is quite impossible to make payment to all claimants at once, but the additional letters "C, N, O, P, U and V" were notified in the Press for payment last week, 1716 and all claimants whose surnames begin with those letters should apply for their shares as soon as possible in accordance with the instructions on the Prize Fund Notice displayed in Post Offices.
§ Viscount CURZONIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there is considerable dissatisfaction amongst the men who are entitled to the prize money at the very great delay which has taken place; and is he also aware that the whole of the active list were paid in March and June and that it has taken up to the present date to pay two or three classes and all the others entitled to prize money?
§ Sir J. CRAIGNo, Sir. As a matter of fact I have evidence of the great satisfaction which has been expressed about the rapidity with which the prize money has been distributed. It is a very large question and the staff had to verify all the records and that takes a great deal of time.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYMay I ask if the Admiralty are getting interest on this money all this time and if so, what is going to happen to it and could it not be added to the claims which are being made now?
§ Sir J. CRAIGNo.