§ Mr. Arbuthnotasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will pay into the fund created for the benefit of claimants under the Foreign Compensation (Czechoslovakia) Order in Council, 1950, 225W the sum of £430,000 which was paid to Her Majesty's Government by the Czechoslovak Government in January, 1954.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithYes. All but £1,071 of this sum was paid into the Exchequer when it was originally received from the Czechoslovak Government, because it was assumed to have been paid in respect of Intergovernmental debt. During the financial negotiations with the Czechoslovak Government which terminated on 22nd October, the Czechoslovak Government stated that the sum of £430,000 should be deemed to have226W been a payment on account of the compensation payable under the Anglo-Czechoslovak Nationalisation Compensation Agreement of 28th September, 1949.
A Supplementary Estimate to authorise the payment of £428,929 out of the Exchequer will be laid before the House in due course. In the meantime an advance of the latter amount will be made from the Civil Contingencies Fund to the Foreign Compensation Commission to enable the immediate investment of the total sum of £430,000 for the benefit of the claimants, pending a distribution to them.