§ 65. Mr. BOWERMANasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that many persons in the Borough of Deptford, whose houses were wrecked as a result of the air raid in 1015, have as yet received no compensation for such damage; whether any money is now available for the payment of such compensation and, if so, can he state when the claims of these sufferers are likely to be met?
Mr. YOUNGApart from the grants made in 1915 by the Air Raid Compensation Committee, the sum of £5,000,000 has been provided in the Estimates for grants to be made on the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Compensation for Suffering and Damage by Enemy Action, presided over by Lord Sumner. The Royal Commission has already dealt with numerous cases, and is dealing as rapidly as possible with the remainder of the very large number of cases submitted to it.
§ Mr. BOWERMANIs not the hon. Gentleman conscious of the real hardship indicted upon working class people by their claims remaining unrecognised for seven years, and can he see his way to expedite these small claims?
Mr. YOUNGThe aspect of the matter to which my right hon. Friend has called attention is present, not only to myself but to members of the Royal Commission who are administering the grant. I am confidently assured that they are pressing forward with all possible haste the rather difficult inquiries in many cases, and they are dealing with the cases in the order of emergency, so that they will deal first with those cases which are most urgent.
§ Mr. BOWERMANIs the hon. Gentleman aware that in one particular case the parents lost their lives, while the owners of the property are still without redress?