§ Captain W. BENNasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reference to his answer of 4th May, 1920, as to German reparations, whether the receipts allocated to the Exchequer of the United Kingdom 918W include the amounts collected under the German Reparation Recovery Act; whether a special commission has been appointed to examine claims upon this fund and to make awards out of it pro-ceding on the basis of the strength of the case for compensation, rather than on the amount at which the damage may be assessed: whether any money is available for urgent cases; and to whom immediate application should be made?
Mr. YOUNGNo receipts from Germany have as yet been allocated to the Exchequer of the United Kingdom on account of reparation from Germany, and a prior claim in respect of the costs of the British Army of occupation is at present outstanding. It is not expected that any receipts on account of reparation will actually reach the Exchequer until about the end of this year. The hon. and gallant Member will remember that under the arrangement arrived at in May, 1921, the payments made by Germany, including the amounts collected under the Reparation Recovery Act, are allocated to the service of certain series of German bonds. The question of the distribution of these bonds among the participant Powers is now under consideration. No money is therefore available as yet for ex-gratia grants to private individuals, but steps are being taken with a view to setting up the special commission referred to in the statement of the Lord Privy Seal on 4th May, 1920, in order that a beginning may be made with the examination of claims.