§ 54. Mr. WISEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government has received the payment from the German Republic for the up-keep of our Army of Occupation on the Rhine; and what is the cost?
§ 58. Mr. LAMBERTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total amount received by the British Government by way of reparations from Germany; whether the amount received covers the cost of the Army of Occupation and, if so, by how much?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hilton Young)According to the latest available estimate of the Reparation Commission, the amount received by the British Empire in respect of the period from 11th November, 1918, to 30th April, 1921, after deducting the amount required for the reimbursement of the Spa coal advances, is 127,000,000 gold marks (about £8,000,000) in cash, and 210,000,000 gold marks in respect of deliveries in kind (chiefly ships and dyestuffs and material abandoned by the German troops at the Armistice). The cost of the British Army of Occupation for the same period was £52,900,000 (equivalent to 991,000,000 gold marks), from which must be deducted 376,000,000 paper marks received from the German Government in respect of expenditure in local currency (equivalent to 88,000,000 gold marks). The net cost was thus 903,000,000 gold marks, and the amount still due, after deducting the above-mentioned receipts of 337,000,000 gold marks, is 566,000,000 gold marks. The sum of 450,000,000 gold marks (about £29,500,000) has been paid over to Great Britain on account of this claim out of the first milliard gold marks paid by Germany under the schedule of payments, leaving a balance of 116,000,000 gold marks still to be paid. But the value of certain deliveries in kind (notably material abandoned at the Armistice and taken over by the Allied Armies) has not yet been finally determined by the Commission, and it is understood that, when final valuations have been made, it is possible that the balance still to be paid to Great Britain may amount to 189,000,000 (instead of 116,000,000) gold marks. The cost of the British Army of Occupation from 1st May, 1921, to the present date has not yet been determined, but it is estimated at £1,000,000 or 16,000,000 gold marks. Nothing has been received from Germany in respect of the cost of occupation from 1st May, 1921, except the sum of 290,000,000 paper marks in respect of expenditure in German currency.
§ Mr. LAMBERTWill ray hon. Friend endeavour to cultivate the brevity which I have shown in my question by stating what is the amount received by the Government by way of reparations from Germany, and whether the amount re- 793 ceived covers the cost of the Army of Occupation?
§ Mr. YOUNGI could have given the right hon. Gentleman an answer very much more brief than that, but it would have been misleading.
§ Mr. LAMBERTMay I have an answer which I can understand, with a little more brevity, giving the facts which I asked for in my question?
§ Sir F. BANBURYIs not the actual sum received by the Government from Germany, not including the amount received for the cost of the Army of Occupation, £30,000,000?
§ Lord R. CECILis it not a minus figure?
§ Mr. YOUNGThe figures are contained in the answer I have given. There is a balance in each case between the sums received and the payments made. If my right hon. Friend would do me the honour to look at my answer, I think that, as a matter of fact, he will find that it is a perfectly categorical answer to the question asked.
§ Sir F. BANBURYIs the result of "searching the pockets of the Germans" less than £30,000,000?