HC Deb 22 July 1924 vol 176 cc1088-90
5. Sir JOHN PENNEFATHER

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the payments to those who have sent in belated reparation claims will average more than £10 per claim, and, if so, how much more; and the total number and amount of the related claims received?

Mr. WEBB

As to the first part of the question, the average of the payments will certainly somewhat exceed £10 per claim admitted, but until all the claims have been examined and assessed, no average can be exactly computed. As to the second part of the question, the total number of belated claims registered in the Reparation Claims Department is 30,041, some of which will not rank. The total amount claimed cannot be stated, since, in a large proportion of cases, no sum is specified.

Sir J. PENNEFATHER

Will not the total sum of these claims vastly exceed the £300,000 allotted?

Mr. WEBB

I will not commit myself to the adverb "vastly," but undoubtedly the total amount claimed by all the claimants will exceed the sum of £300,000. We do not, however, yet know how many of these claims will be admitted and at what amounts they will be assessed.

Sir PHILIP LLOYD-GREAME

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the belated claimants will get approximately the same proportion of their total claims as those assessed by the Commission, or what less proportion?

Mr. WEBB

I am sorry that, with the best will in the world, I am not able to give a proportion, but I think the inference must be that the amount available for each of these claimants will be less than the proportion that was available for the original claimants.

Sir P. LLOYD-GREAME

If it be the fact that these people are genuinely belated claimants, will the right hon. Gentleman consult with the Treasury for the provision of such a sum as would give them the same proportion as those whose claims were put in and assessed by the Royal Commission?

Mr. WEBB

I am sorry to say that I cannot undertake to do that until we know what the position is. With regard to the expression, "genuinely belated claims," they were all belated, and in that sense they were genuinely belated, but if it be objected that they were all justified in being belated, I am afraid that that could not be admitted.

48. Mr. HARMSWORTH

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by whose authority, and for what reasons, the term "in full and final settlement' has been officially applied to payments of compensation to sufferers from enemy action; and whether he is aware that these terms are not to be found in the Treaty of Versailles in connection with such compensation?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Graham)

The authority is that of the successive Governments which have had to deal with this matter. The reasons for setting aside a fund for ex gratia grants have been several times explained recently. As regards the last part of the question, the Treaty of Versailles does not deal in any way with the grant of compensation to individuals in such cases, and has no bearing on the issue.

Mr. HARMSWORTH

May I ask the hon. Gentleman to answer that part of the question which asks by what authority the term "full and final settlement" was used by his Department?

Mr. GRAHAM

It was used first of all when the original provision was made a number of years ago. It was a purely ex gratia payment by the Government of the day, and we have adhered to that.

Mr. HARMSWORTH

Does that full and final settlement only refer to the £5,000,000 which was put aside or to the total payment of these people?

Sir P. LLOYD-GREAME

Does the hon. Gentleman's Department accept the view that they are under a moral obligation to pay compensation to the full amount of whatever reparations they may receive?

Mr. GRAHAM

In the Debate on this subject I expressly said we could not go into the realm of moral claims at all. There is no limit to the claims when you once get into that sphere. As regards the first question, it has been stated over and over again that this £5,300,000 is in full and final settlement—that is, full and final as regards the ex gratia payments which the Government could make.

Mr. STURROCK

Shall we have an opportunity of resuming the discussion?