§ 8. Colonel PERKINSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any decision has been reached as to the treatment of the very large number of applications to the Reparation Claims Department which have been sent in 233 after the advertised time; and whether, in view of the fact that most seamen are necessarily ignorant of what goes on ashore, the committee will extend the maximum of consideration to those men who in formulating their claims did not fully comply with the regulations as to the time of filing?
§ Viscount WOLMERI would refer to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiganshire on 8th May, of which I am sending a copy.
§ Captain WEDGWOOD BENNDoes the Noble Lord realise the hardships entailed on seamen who did not know of the time limit, and who, perhaps for other reasons, also were unable to send in claims?
§ Viscount WOLMERWe realise them very fully. This question has been brought very strongly to the attention of the Royal Commission, which has made arrangements to deal with such cases.
§ Captain BENNIs the Noble Lord aware that Members of Parliament are constantly receiving letters from seamen who cannot get their claims attended to owing to this rule, and will he take some action?
§ Viscount WOLMERThe position is that there are 4,000 claims which came in time of which the Commission has to dispose before it can go into the claims which were not in time.