§ 21. Mrs. Ridealghasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can make an announcement as to the date on which claims under Part II of the War Damage Act will be dealt with, having regard to the fact that premiums slightly exceeded total claims, and the desire of traders affected to clear up their accounts under this particular heading.
§ Mr. H. WilsonI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 13th November to the right hon. Gentleman the junior Member for the City of London (Mr. Assheton). I would add that the amount of the claims under the business scheme, apart from expenses, exceeded the premiums by about £15 million.
§ Mrs. RidealghIs the Minister aware that in the case of one Co-operative society the amount of claim outstanding is £80,000, and would he not agree that capital tied up like this is causing great inconvenience in the carrying on of a business?
§ Mr. WilsonI have already said that where any cases of individual hardship are involved, or where delay in payment is affecting capital development and capital expenditure schemes of a worthwhile character, I am prepared to look at them individually.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIs it not a fact that the answer of 13th November, to which the right hon. Gentleman referred the hon. Lady, was merely a statement that he was doing nothing whatever about this, and in view of the fact that three years have now elapsed since the end of the war, is it not time to authorise general payments?
§ Mr. Walter FletcherWill the same principle apply to overseas schemes where the Government are guaranteeing payments?
§ Mr. WilsonI should want notice about questions in regard to overseas claims in individual countries. They are all being treated differently.