HL Deb 11 July 1923 vol 54 cc988-90
THE EARL OF MAYO

My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government what sums have been granted in accordance with the footnote to Paragraph 40 (6) of the Heads of Working Arrangements for implementing the Irish Free State Treaty.

[Paragraph 40 says— That for the period up to the 31st March, 1922—

  1. " (a) The existing Votes, so far as they are applicable to Southern 989 Ireland, be placed at the disposal of the Temporary Provisional Government for the purposes for which they have been voted: and
  2. " (b) Any additional sum agreed will be covered by a Special Vole, to be presented to Parliament as soon as possible, such sum being adjusted in the final settlement."*
*The Chancellor of the Exchequer agrees to the recoupment of so much of the intercepted grants as have already been applied, on the understanding that the amount so recouped, so far as it represents compensation for payments for injuries to property, is regarded as forming part of the British Government's payment for compensation under paragraph 5 (e).''

Paragraph 5— That as respects injuries to property— (e) The British Government undertake to reimburse the Irish Government for such a proportion of the total amount (including advances already made out of intercepted grants) as may be agreed between the two Governments the amount of the damage done to property in Great Britain in pursuance of the late Irish political movement being brought into account."]

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE)

My Lords, in reply to my noble friend I have to inform him that a sum of £1,130,000 was voted by Parliament in the spring of 1922 to be treated as a payment on account of the grants in question. I hope that this will give him the information which he desires.

THE EARL OF MAYO

I thank the noble Duke.

House adjourned at half-past seven o'clock.