HC Deb 01 November 1944 vol 404 cc774-5
3. Mr. Ellis Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any steps are to be taken or if a Clause is to be inserted in the armistice terms to prevent payments of any kind being made to individuals or organisations of enemy origin on account of pre-war industrial agreements and to provide that no person of enemy origin or others acting for them shall be allowed to invest capital in other countries for a period to be stated.

Mr. Law

Decisions on such matters can only be reached in agreement with our Allies. I should, however, think it most unlikely that the United Nations will not reserve the right to withhold payments of the kind to which my hon. Friend refers. The question of preventing further foreign investment by Germany will certainly be examined in connection with the measures to be imposed upon her.

Mr. Smith

Does that mean that prewar royalties will be paid upon patents and other processes that have been used during the war for enemy purposes against the United Nations?

Mr. Law

As I said, that is a matter for agreement among the Allies, but I also said in my reply that I thought it would be most unlikely that payments of that kind would be made.