§ 19. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he can now state if it is still the intention of the Government to introduce legislation to set aside the judgment of the Privy Council in favour of ex-British civil servants in the Irish Free State, as decided in Wigg and Cochrane v. the Attorney-General of the Irish Free State, in May last year; if so, when will such legislation be introduced and what compensation will be paid to the civil servants in question for the delay in paying them the pensions and other compensation to which they have been held to be entitled more than a year ago?
§ Mr. AMERYI hope that it will be possible for a statement to be made on this matter at an early date; in the meantime I am afraid I cannot add anything to the previous replies which I have given to my hon. Friend.
§ Sir W. DAVISONDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise the great hardship these ex-British civil servants are suffering by reason of the fact that they have got no result from the judgment they obtained a year ago, and does he not think they are entitled to some compensation immediately?
§ Sir W. DAVISONIn view of that anxiety, can the right hon. Gentleman 614 say that the matter will be settled at a given date, or will it be that Parliament will have adjourned leaving the matter still unsettled?
§ 24. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether, as a result of the WiggCochrane judgment, he can now say if negotiations or conversations are taking place with the Government of the Irish Free State with a view to removing the deadlock in carrying out the provisions of Clause 19 of the Treaty; and whether the position of British ex service temporary clerks transferred to the Irish Free State Government is also the subject of these negotiations in view of their undoubted grievances against both Governments?
§ Mr. AMERYThe answer to the first part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part the matters under discussion relate to the general position as regards claims for compensation under Article X of the Articles of Agreement, and not specially to the claims of particular classes of civil servants.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYCan my right hon. Friend say whether these British ex-service temporary clerks come under these terms?
§ Mr. AMERYI am afraid it would hardly be for me to make a ruling as to whether they come under those terms, and it is only when the machinery for dealing with those cases is set up that their claims can very well be considered.