§ 70. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount that has been received from Germany as reparation under all headings; whether in money or material; and how much more is outstanding?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Sir Robert Home)In the I Approximate Statement by the Repara- 1541 tion Commission of deliveries made by Germany on Separation account as at 31st March, 1921, the estimated value of deliveries and cessions is given as rather over 6 milliards of gold marks. The figures for many items are, of course, provisional and subject to qualification. Further deliveries have since been made. Germany has also, in accordance with Article 5 of the Schedule of Payments, prescribed by the Reparation Commission and accepted by her, paid partly in cash and partly in three months' bills the 1 milliard gold marks therein provided for as the first two quarterly payments of the fixed sum of 2 milliards a year to be paid by her under Article 4 (1). The total Reparation debt was fixed by the Reparation Commission at 132 milliards of gold marks. The precise amount outstanding depends upon the Commission's decisions as to the value to be credited to Germany in respect of the deliveries and cessions made.
§ Viscount CURZONDoes the figure given include the value of all the ships handed over to this country?
§ Sir R. HORNEIt does not include the value of any ships that have not been sold. It includes only the value of ships actually sold. There is a certain number of ships which have not been sold.
§ Viscount CURZONHow do we get at the value of ships that have not been sold?
§ Sir R. HORNEThe value is not included in these figures. The value of the ships that have been sold but have not been paid for is not included. I do not pretend to put a value upon the ships that have not been sold. I should be very rash if I did, in the present condition of the shipping market.