§ Mr. RAPERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what is the total amount of claims by British subjects against, respectively Turkey and Bulgaria; and whether Germany is to be held responsible for all the proved British claims made against German allies?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEThe claims notified by British nationals against Turkey show a total of about £23,000,000 and those against Bulgaria a total of £1,677,983. Items of these claims to the amount of about £9,500,000 are in respect of matters for which Germany is liable to pay reparation by the Treaty of Versailles. Germany is not responsible for debts due by the nationals of other enemy or ex-enemy powers to British nationals, but the proceeds of sale of German property in British territory, after satisfying German liabilities, have been charged with the amounts due in respect of claims with regard to Allied property in the territory of the other enemy and ex-enemy powers.
§ Mr. RAPERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department when the claims of British subjects against Turkey and Bulgaria will be paid; whether, in view of the hardship which the delay in settlement is inflicting upon the claimants, His Majesty's Government will make an immediate advance to all British claimants, up to, say, 50 per cent, of the amount of their respective claims to enable them to reconstruct and carry on their businesses; and whether the French Government has already made, or is it 585W about to make, an advance to French subejcts on account of their claims against the Ottoman Government?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEI have been asked to reply to this question. I am afraid that it is not possible at the present moment to make any statement of the kind desired by my hon. Friend. As regards Turkey, the Treaty of Sèvres has not yet been ratified. Claims against the Bulgarian Government on account of damage to British property in Bulgaria will have to be made good before the Anglo-Bulgarian Mixed Arbitral Tribunal for the establishment of which arrangements are being made. As regards private debts, creditors are required to take all reasonable steps to recover direct from their debtors before they will be entitled to participate in the distribution of Bulgarian assets in the United Kingdom. I regret that the proposal of my hon. Friend that advances should be made by His Majesty's Government to claimants cannot be adopted. I have no information as regards the last part of the question.