HL Deb 14 June 1972 vol 331 cc981-2
LORD NAPIER AND ETTRICK

My Lords, I beg leave 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 the capital grant awarded to Sir Humphrey Gibbs by the previous Administration in 1969 in recognition of his services to the Crown has yet been paid to Sir Humphrey and his family; and if not, why not.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)

My Lords, the grant has not yet been paid, at the request of Sir Humphrey Gibbs' financial advisers. We are awaiting their agreement to a proposal to establish a Trust Fund in favour of Lady Gibbs and their children.

LORD NAPIER AND ETTRICK

My Lords, I am obliged to my noble friend for that reply. May I just ask her one question? Could it be that there is here a problem of Rhodesian tax, and would she agree that Her Majesty's Government are in fact powerless to help Sir Humphrey in this matter until such time as there is an agreed settlement with Rhodesia.

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, no; that is not exactly the case. It is true that the question of whether the grant is subject to Rhodesian tax is under consideration by the tax authorities in Rhodesia, but the fact that the grant has not been paid has nothing to do with I.D.I. It is entirely because we have been asked by Sir Humphrey Gibbs's financial advisers to wait.