§ 2 35 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received representations from the Polish Naval Association to secure the refundment to the Association of the sum of £28,000 deposited by Admiral Swirski at the Admiralty, in order to assist the dependants of Polish naval personnel who fought by our side in the last great war with great gallantry; and what action has been taken in this matter.]
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (THE EARL OF SELKIRKMy Lords, I ant grateful to the noble Viscount for asking this question because I am anxious to dispel any sense in the mind of the Polish Naval Association that the Admiralty have been less than generous to a gallant body of men to whom we owed much in the war. In 1947 the Polish Navy was disbanded, after remaining throughout the war as a separate unit paid for by United Kingdom funds. These funds were paid monthly, and at the time of disbandment, not unnaturally, some of them remained unexpended. These were public funds voted by Parliament, and were properly returned to the Admiralty by order of the Polish Liquidation Commission.
This whole subject has been examined on a number of occasions. I did, however, institute a further thorough inquiry this autumn, and the receipts given for sums returned showed specifically that these funds were public funds or, to use the Polish term "budget funds." It would not have been proper to use such funds for payment to a charity, however deserving it might be. A detailed account 1282 of the position was sent to the Polish Naval Association on November 20 this year. Further payments, greater than the total of money returned, were made from Admiralty funds to the individual members of the Polish Naval Forces for pay, allowances and war gratuity which was due to them.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Earl the First Lord of the Admiralty for his reference to the services of the Polish Navy during the war. I was First Lord at that time, and I can testify to the great service they did for the joint cause. I am also much obliged to the noble Earl for the obviously careful inquiries which he has made into this matter, which we have discussed apart from this Parliamentary Question. In view of the fact that there still seems to be some dubiety about the origin of these funds, may I ask whether these were merely budget surpluses every year, or whether they actually represent savings, as claimed by some members of the Polish Forces? And in view of the fact that former members of the Polish Forces consider that the War Office has treated the Polish soldiers who fought with us during the war much more generously than the Polish sailors have been treated by the Admiralty, would it not be reasonable to ask the noble Earl to see Admiral Swirski, who himself handed over the money to the Liquidation Commission, and explain the matter to him in detail and hear what he has to say? I am most anxious not only that the right thing is done, but that it should be seen to be done.
§ THE EARL OF SELKIRKMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Viscount for the way in which he has phrased his supplementary questions. His view is identical with mine. I am most anxious that it should appear abundantly clear how the matter stands. I at once accept his invitation, and I shall be extremely glad to see Admiral Swirski and put at his disposal any further information for which he may ask. May I say that the position of the War Office was different? There were certain canteen funds and savings at War Office disposal, and those were the funds which were handed back, as opposed to the public funds to which I have been referring here.