§ 2.37. p.m.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government the question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To call attention to the fact that out of an austerity total of £55,000,000 656 awarded to Malaya for compensation for war damages, Japan is due to pay in reparations only £10,000,000 towards these damages, whilst Malaya herself has to shoulder £35,000,000 of that amount, and to ask His Majesty's Government why this unfair proportion payable by Japan was agreed to by His Majesty's Government in view of the fact that Japan caused all the damage, inflicted many brutal and barbaric injuries on the populace and British prisoners of war, and robbed the tin mines and the rubber plantations of many thousands of pounds worth of tin and rubber; and whether His Majesty's Government will see if anything can be done to increase the sum payable by Japan and so remove a sense of grave injustice from the minds and pockets of the Malayan people.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COLONIAL AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL)My Lords, the amount which the Malayan Governments will receive in reparations from Japan is unknown and cannot be ascertained until the final division of Japanese reparations has been agreed upon between all the claimant Governments. His Majesty's Government will make every endeavour, consonant with their other responsibilities in this matter, to ensure that the claims of the Malayan Governments are fairly treated. If those Governments in fact receive more than £10,000,000 from this source, there will of course be no objection to their devoting the proceeds from reparations to the war damage compensation scheme, thus reducing their own liability within the total of £55,000,000. The question of Japanese reparations is, however, very complex and cannot be settled for some time. In the meanwhile, it has been essential to elaborate and set on foot a war damage compensation scheme in the Malayan territories, and the purely provisional figure of £10,000,000 from reparations has been included in this scheme as a balancing item. The proceeds of the sale of rubber, tin and, possibly, other assets looted by the Japanese in Malaya are regarded as separate from reparations, and such proceeds to the extent of approximately £6,000,000 have already been recovered and are available for the war damage compensation scheme.
§ LORD MANCROFTArising out of that reply, can the noble Earl say what he thinks are our chances of receiving any of this £10,000,000?
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELI can only say that in conjunction with the other Governments we are doing our utmost to expedite the extraction of reparations from Japan, and that we are pressing very hard indeed for our fair share in the total.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONDoes not the Minister of State consider, in view of what he has said of the difficulty, complexity and doubtful probability of obtaining anything material in Japanese reparations, and the peculiar obligation of His Majesty's Government to Malaya in this matter, that the real way of giving practical help is for His Majesty's Government to reconsider the amount they are prepared to find towards the damages to be paid to Malaya?
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELI cannot agree with the noble Viscount that we are not likely, in due course, to secure reparations from Japan. As I said, negotiations are going on at the moment, and I have no reason to suppose that when the time comes we shall not be able to secure a reasonable share of the total amount that is to be paid in reparations to the Allied Governments.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONThen would His Majesty's Government (and they have the responsibility) do this: if they feel confident that at some time considerable reparations will be obtained, but that the need in Malaya—particularly for the small people—is immediate, will they not make a further advance upon their £10,000,000, and say that if they obtain reparations from Japan the advance may be repaid out of such reparations?
VISCOUNT ELIBANKArising out of the noble Earl's answer, am I to understand that £6,000,000 has already been placed aside for compensation for the loss of tin and rubber which was seized by the Japanese? If that is so, can the Government take steps to make that sum available as soon as possible to the tin mining companies and other miners, and to the rubber plantations, as they are suffering a great deal from lack of funds, largely due to the fact that these seizures were made?
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELYes. I can assure the noble Viscount that this amount of £6,000,000 has been paid, and is now available for payments of the kind he has in mind.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMight I have an answer to my supplementary question which, in point of time, preceded that of the noble Viscount, Lord Elibank?
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELI can only say that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State and the Government will give serious consideration to the point raised by the noble Viscount.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKWhen will that amount be paid? Will the noble Earl see that that question is pressed, so that this amount may be paid as soon as possible?
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELIt has been paid.
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELTo the Malayan Governments.