§ 1. Mr. Woodnuttasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will state the total amount paid by the Federal German Government under the Federal Restitution Law of 1957; what percentage of the total amount due this represents; what proposals the Federal German Government have made to pay more than the limit of 1,500,000,000 Deutschmarks agreed by the three Western Powers and the Federal Republic of Germany at Bonn in 1952; and if he will give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will insist on compensation in full before a peace treaty is signed.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Peter Thomas)According to information recently supplied by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the total amount paid under the Federal Restitution Law of 1957 up to 1st April, 1962, was 400 1,283,884,885.76 Deutschmarks. Claims up to 20,000 Deutschmarks are paid up to 100 per cent. and higher claims have in general been paid up to 50 per cent. Furthermore, claimants who are 65 years of age or more receive 75 per cent. of their claim, up to a maximum of 100,000 Deutschmarks. The Government of the Federal Republic have made no proposals to Her Majesty's Government for the payment of more than 1.5 milliard Deutschmarks; however, I am informed that the responsible authorities in the Federal Republic are examining whether and to what extent arrangements more favourable to the claimants might be made as a result of amendments to the Federal Restitution Law which are being prepared.
§ Mr. WoodnuttWill my hon. Friend answer the last part of my Question? If the Federal Government do not agree to pay these people in full, could we insist that they do so before we sign a peace treaty? Is my hon. Friend aware of individual cases in this country of people who have had half the money which is due to them and who have been told that they must wait until they are 65 years of age before they receive the balance? This is causing considerable hardship to a lot of people. Does my hon. Friend agree that, as individuals are expected to meet their liabilities in full, the Federal Ger-man Government should be expected to do likewise?
§ Mr. ThomasI am aware of the hardships which exist, and I know of one particular case which my hon. Friend has brought to our notice. As I said, the Federal German Government have under consideration the possibility of further legislation. Our Embassy in Bonn is in touch with the German authorities on this subject, and I do not think that anything more can usefully be done at present.
As regards the last part of my hon. Friend's Question, if this matter is still outstanding it will certainly be one to be considered when the peace treaty is negotiated.