§ Mr. HOODasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, under an Order dated 7th December, 1915, permission was given to make payments to enemy agents for obtaining registration or renewal of patents and trade marks in enemy countries, but on the 15th July, 1918, the licence to make such payments was revoked; that the moneys owing to enemy agents for such charges and ex- 2409W penses cannot now be paid to them, as they are claimed by the Public Trustee under Article 297 of the Treaty of Peace with Germany; and whether he can see his way to permit such payments to be made direct to the agents who have performed the services and made the payments on the faith of the Order of 7th December, 1915?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI understand that no such claim, as is suggested in the second part of this question, has been made by the Public Trustee. Debts arising out of the employment of German Patent Agents, under the licence of 7th December, 1915, come, in my opinion, within the scope of paragraph 1 (xvi) of the Treaty of Peace Order, 1919, as being property, rights or interests of German nationals acquired under a general licence issued by, or on behalf of, His Majesty, and such debts may, therefore, be paid direct to the Agents in question.