HC Deb 11 March 1924 vol 170 cc2107-10
18. Mr. GREAVES-LORD

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many cases which have been heard before the German section of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal are awaiting judgment, and the dates when such cases were heard?

Mr. WEBB

I will circulate the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The number of cases which have been heard before the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal and now awaiting judgment is 14. The dates when such cases were heard are as follows:

January … … … 1923
February … … … 1923
April … … … 1923
May … … … 1923
May … … … 1923
June … … … 1923
October … … … 1923
November … … … 1923
December … … … 1923
December … … … 1923
February … … … 1924
February … … … 1924
February … … … 1924
February … … … 1924
In two of these cases the judgments are written and will be delivered immediately. In one case, negotiations for an amicable settlement are proceeding and judgment has been postponed. In four cases, further information from the parties is required before the final decision can be given, but, in all these four cases, interlocutory judgments on points of principle have been delivered.

19. Mr. GREAVES-LORD

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state whether a Second Division of Arbitral Tribunal (Enemy Debts) has recently been set up, if so, on what date; how many times has it sat; and how many cases has it settled?

Mr. WEBB

With the hon. and learned Gentleman's permission, I will circulate the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The Second Division of the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal was set up at the end of October, 1923. It sat for the first time on 6th November, 1923, and up to the 4th March, inclusive, sat on 27 days. The number of cases that it has decided and disposed of is 56. During the same period the President of this Division and the British member, with the substitution of an Austrian or Bulgarian in place of the German member, sat on 12 occasions to hear Austrian and Bulgarian cases.

20. Sir JOHN PENNEFATHER

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what dates the Enemy Debt Clearing Office and the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal were set up; how many cases had been lodged by 15th March, 1923; how many had been disposed of on that date; and what the number of cases lodged and disposed of now are?

Mr. WEBB

With the hon. Gentleman's permission, I will circulate the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The British Clearing Office was established on the 10th January, 1920, and the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal on the 15th November, 1920.

The number of cases lodged with the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal to 15th March, 1923, was 1,775, of which 97 were disposed of by judgment after trial, and 215 by consent judgments or withdrawals. The total number of cases lodged with the Tribunal from the date of its establishment to the 1st instant is 2,444, of which 202 were disposed of by judgment after trial and 716 by consent judgment or withdrawal.

In order to dispel any confusion which may exist, I desire to point out that the Mixed Adbitral Tribunal is an independent International Court, and forms no part of the Clearing Office organisation.

21. Sir J. PENNEFATHER

asked the President, of the Board of Trade if he will state the cost of maintaining the Enemy Debts Clearing Office and of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal for each year since they were set up?

Mr. WEBB

I will circulate the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The cost of the Central British Clearing Office up to the 1st instant is as follows:

£ s. d.
From 10th January, 1920, to 31st March, 1921 231,212 10 1
From 1st April, 1921, to 31st March, 1922 339,526 13 11
From 1st April, 1922, to 31st March, 1923 203,857 0 8
From 1st April, 1923, to 1st March, 1924 (approximate) 170,000 0 0
These expenses are defrayed out of a percentage charge upon payments to creditors and claimants, and impose no burden upon public funds. In considering the cost of the organisation, it must be borne in mind that the Central Office clears the debts and claims of the whole of the British Empire through 43 local clearing offices established in the Dominions and Colonies.

The British share of the cost of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunals is as follows:

Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal.
£ s. d.
1919–20 798 19 9
1920–21 4,063 0 9
1921–22 7,351 16 5
1922–23 7,268 13 10

Anglo-Austrian, Hungarian and Bulgarian Mixed Arbitral Tribunals.
£ s. d.
1921–22 3,303 19 0
1922–23 4,068 7 4

22. Sir J. PENNEFATHER

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the total amount of the awards made to British subjects by the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal up to 31st December last, and the total amount paid to them by the Clearing Office (Enemy Debts)?

Mr. WEBB

I will circulate the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. A. M. SAMUEL

Arising out of the answer that is to come, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that on earlier occasions suggestions have been made that an auxiliary tribunal should be set up for the reason that, owing to the pressure of work, many of the cases that ought to have been heard have been held up?

Mr. SPEAKER

I think the right hon. Gentleman can hardly answer that question without notice.

Following is the answer promised:

The information asked for will be supplied to the hon. Member as soon as the figures have been ascertained, but the return will take some little time to prepare owing to the fact that upwards of 90 per cent. of the awards made by the tribunal are in respect of settlements effected by the Clearing Office through its Berlin branch, and are submitted for formal judgment only, without the necessity of lodging memorials with the tribunal. The hon. Member will also bear in mind that, whereas some claims are paid in full, others rank for dividend only, and to give the information asked for involves a careful dissection of the awards.