§ 7. Mr. HANNONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state what arrangements have been made by the German Government with German industrialists for the reimbursement of the cost of deliveries in kind made to the French and Belgian Governments?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. William Graham)As the answer is a long one, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ I understand that the German Government have given an undertaking of eventual reimbursement to the mining industry and to the chemical industry in occupied territory, but have refused to give any such undertaking to the other industries.
§ As regard the mines, the undertaking given was to reimburse to the mineowners ultimately after the restoration of the German Government finances, the value of coal deliveries to France, Belgium and Italy and the amount of coal tax paid under the agreement made by the mines in November last with the Franco-Belgian authorities, provided that such deliveries and payments are credited by the Reparation Commission to Germany on reparation account. In the meantime, the mines are authorised to set off the amounts thus due to them against Corporation Tax, Capital Tax and Turn-Over Tax due to the German Government.
§ The promise given to the chemical industry was that the value of deliveries effected under the agreement made with the Rhineland Commission (i.e., the French and Belgian delegates) would be reimbursed later by order of the German Ministry of Finance, in so far as actually credited to Germany on reparation account.