§ Mr. MACPHERSONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the total amount realised up to date by the liquidation of German private property under the provisions of Article 297 of the Treaty of Versailles; how much of those proceeds has been used for the payment of British private claims against Germany or German nationals under that treaty; whether he accepts the estimate that £3,000,000 is the amount of the claims still outstanding which the Clearing Office will have to meet; and, if not, what is his estimate?
Mr. GRAHAMThe total proceeds of German private property realised up to2258W 31st August, 1929, when liquidation was suspended pending negotiations with the German Government, amount, after reserves have been made for certain releases, to £55,750,000. Of this money there has been employed for the payment of British claims against the German Government and German nationals an amount of £38,500,000. The estimate of £3,000,000 for claims which may still have to be met may be accepted as provisionally correct, but I would point out that the actual liability depends upon the findings of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunals, which cannot be anticipated.