HC Deb 26 January 1931 vol 247 cc578-9
9 and 10. Mr. REMER

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, (1) if he will request His Majesty's Ministers at Vienna and Budapest to draw up a report explaining the effect upon the position of British holders of pre-War Austro-Hungarian unsecured debt arising from the non-ratification of certain States of the 31st October, 1930, agreement; and will he give the names of those States which have failed to ratify;

(2) whether he will instruct His Majesty's representatives abroad to assist in obtaining the ratification by certain States of the Austro-Hungarian debt settlement agreement of 31st October, 1930, made by the Caisse Commune on behalf of British investors?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Dalton)

The agreement of 31st October, 1930, has been ratified by all the States concerned except Yugoslavia and Hungary. On 13th December last, however, an additional agreement was signed by all the interested States, under the terms of which the agreement of 31st October will be put into force as from 1st January, 1931, until 1st January, 1936, and will remain permanently in force if Yugoslavia and Hungary ratify before the latter date. Earlier ratification by Yugoslavia and Hungary of the first agreement would render the second superfluous. In these circumstances no action in the sense suggested by the hon. Member seems required.

Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUEL

Is there any reason why Hungary and Yugoslavia have refused to ratify?

Mr. DALTON

I could not say without notice.