§ 32. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any estimate of the amount of money that has been collected by the French customs stations in the occupied districts of the Ruhr on the property of British merchants entering the Ruhr; whether any further progress has been made in the negotiations as to how this money is to be disposed of; and what steps are being taken to clear the matter up?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI am unable to add anything to previous replies on this subject.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYCan the right hon. Gentleman state what we are doing towards getting this very important information for the benefit of British merchants? Is anything being done at all, and, if so, what?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThat is just exactly what I am not prepared at the moment to state. The matter is being very carefully considered, and, as the Prime Minister said in answer to a pre- 607 vious question on a somewhat similar subject, conversations are taking place.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYCould the right hon. Gentleman inform me why he cannot give us this information? Is there any reason why our people should not know what is being done?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI think that in the present position it is not desirable to make any statement in this House until we are able to deal with the whole question.