HC Deb 05 February 1941 vol 368 cc987-8
Sir K. Wood

I beg to move, in page 20, line 45, to leave out from "be," to the end of the Sub-section, and to insert: maintained by or against a foreign State, the Sovereign of a foreign State, the envoy of a foreign State accredited to His Majesty, a member of the retinue of such an envoy, the High Commissioner for a Dominion (as defined for the purposes of the Statute of Westminster, 1931), India or Southern Rhodesia or the Agent-General for a state or province forming part of a Dominion (as so defined). This Clause deals with the property of diplomatic representatives in which, I think, we take an attitude of which the Committee will approve. Owing to the fact that diplomatic representatives are treated in a different way from ordinary citizens we do not exact contributions from them, but we pay the full compensation provided for in the Bill. That is what I am sure we would all desire to be the treatment of diplomatic representatives in this country. This and following Amendments on the Paper in my name are to extend the benefit of the Clause to the following additional types of property—property maintained or belonging to a foreign State or its sovereign, and property belonging to members of the retinue of foreign envoys. It is not only the envoys themselves who are to be covered. We also desire to include High Commissioners of India, Southern Rhodesia, and Agents-General of Dominion provinces, and also properties held on trust for a foreign State or person. This covers cases which were brought to our notice after the Clause was drafted.

Earl Winterton

I hope that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will not discourage representatives of our fellow-citizens in the Dominions from bearing the cost or dealing with the matter in some way. I am sure that they would wish, as a voluntary act on their part in respect of serious damage to their property, to make some contribution.

Sir K. Wood

Certainly. I will bear that in mind.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendments made:

In page 21, line 3, leave out "such a representative," and insert "any such State or person."

In line 3, after "for," insert "its or."

In line 6, after "such," insert "it or."

In line 13, after "whom," insert "it or."

In line 16, leave out "representative," and insert "State or person."

In line 18, leave out "representative," and insert "State or person."

In line 19, after the second "of," insert "its or."

In line 20, after "discharged," insert "its or."

In line 22, leave out "such a representative," and insert "any such State or person."

In line 29, leave out "of the representative as such, "and insert", as such, of the State or person aforesaid."

In line 30, after "that," insert "other."

In line 32, at the end, add: References in this Part of this Act and the Fifth Schedule thereto to any indemnity to which any person is, or would have been, entitled in respect of an instalment of contribution shall be construed as including a reference to any relief to which he is, or would have been, entitled under this Sub-section.

In line 32, at the end, add: (4) Where a proprietary interest in the whole or any part of a contributory property is held upon trust for the benefit of any such State or person as aforesaid only, the preceding provisions of this Section shall have effect in relation to that interest and (so far as regards that interest) in relation to the person by whom it is so held as they have effect in relation to a proprietary interest in the ownership of such a State or person and to such a State or person."—[Sir K. Wood.]

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.