Mr. G. MURRAYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Order in Council which was passed on the 28th August, 1914, which annulled the system of individual prizes and instituted prize bounty from a general fund, is applicable to cases of prizes captured prior to that date?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAYes, Sir. Early announcement of the departure from the policy of awarding the net proceeds of prizes, which are Droits of the Crown to the captors in each particular case, was made in the Order in Council of 28th August, 1914. There was indeed an earlier statement as to this change of policy in Parliament by the Attorney-General (Sir John Simon) on 5th August, 1914, and an announcement to this effect was also made in the Press of 20th August. The Proclamation declaring the pleasure of the Crown to award prize in this War to the Fleet is dated 15th August, 1918. The 769W tribunal constituted under the Naval Prize Act, 1918, has been actively at work since its constitution upon the task with which it is charged of separating Droits of the Crown from Droits of Admiralty. In pursuance of this duty, they will take under review for determination the cases of all captures from the beginning of the War.