HC Deb 12 February 1929 vol 225 cc225-7
53 and 54. Sir WILLIAM DAVISON

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (1) whether he can inform the House as to whether Messrs. Wigg and Cochrane, and other ex-British civil servants in the Irish Free State, have now received the compensation to which they have on two occasions been held by the Privy Council to be entitled under Article X of the Irish Treaty, the first decision of the Privy Council in their favour being so long ago as May, 1927;

(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 un-dealt with; and what action the British Government are taking to secure the observance of Article X of the Irish Treaty in this respect?

Captain MARGESSON

I have been asked to reply. It will be appreciated that, inasmuch as the judgment of the Privy Council referred to in the first of my hon. Friends questions affected the position of other civil servants besides the two directly concerned, it was desirable that there should be conversations not only between His Majesty's Governments in the United Kingdom and in the Irish Free State, but also between His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State and the representatives of the civil servants. I am happy to be able to inform the House that these conversations have now resulted in agreement, which I understand is satisfactory to the representatives of the civil servants to whom I have referred. His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State have, however, requested that the terms of agreement should not be announced to Parliament here until it is possible also to announce them to the Parliament in Dublin. The latter is not at present sitting, and the earliest possible date for a simultaneous announcement would be the 20th instant. My right hon. Friend hopes the House will agree that such a request is not unreasonable and that my hon. Friend will therefore be prepared to put down a further question on or about the 20th instant.

Sir W. DAVISON

Can the hon. and gallant Member say whether interest will be paid to these unfortunate people in respect of the money compensation which has been wrongfully withheld from them for a period running into years?

Captain MARGESSON

Perhaps my hon. Friend will put that question upon the Paper.