§ 21. Mr. Simmonds (for Mr. Higgs)asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of money he has received in premiums under the War Risks Insurance Act, 1939, and the value of claims admitted up to any convenient recent date?
Major Lloyd GeorgeAfter allowing for refunds made under the concession in 937 regard to the premium for September, 1939, and in respect of goods declared to be uninsurable, the net premiums received up to 19th October, 1940, amount to £41,404,502. It is not in the national interest that the value of claims admitted should be disclosed.
§ Mr. SimmondsCan my hon. Friend state approximately the proportion of the claims admitted which have in fact been paid?
Major Lloyd GeorgeNo, but I can assure my hon. Friend that there is no avoidable delay in the settling of claims. In the Birmingham area all claims which have been received by the Board of Trade are already in the hands of assessors, and the number of assessors available is sufficient to meet the present demand on their services.