§ 14 and 16. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, (1), if he can inform the House as to whether Messrs. Wigg and Cochrane, the appellants who woe their case before the Privy Council in May, 1927, have now been paid the compensation awarded to them: and, if not. what action the British Government are taking to secure the payments to which their former servants have been held t(, be entitled under Article 10 of the Irish Treaty;
2593 (2) whether he is aware that some hundreds of ex-British civil servants transferred from the British Civil Service to the Irish Free State Civil Service have submitted applications for retirement under Article X of the Irish treaty, in many cases several years ago, and that such applications are still undealt with; and what action the British Government are taking to secure the observance of Article X of the Irish treaty in this respect?
§ Mr. AMERYIn reply to these two questions, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to similar questions by him on Monday, 26th November, to which I am not at present in a position to add anything.
§ Sir W. DAVISONCan my right hon. Friend say whether the British Government still recognise their responsibility for seeing that these ex-British servants of the British Crown shall receive their rights to which they have been held to he entitled?
§ Mr. AMERYOh, yes, the British Government still fully recognise their responsibility in this matter, as they have before, but I am not yet in a position to give an answer to my hon. Friend.
§ Sir W. DAVISONCan my right hon. Friend say approximately when this matter will be decided, because these unfortunate people have now been without the compensation, to which they have been twice held by the Privy Council to be entitled, for more than two years, and many for a longer period?
§ Mr. AMERYNaturally, I should like to make a statement as soon as possible, and I hope to be in a position to do so as soon as we meet again.