§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has finalised an agreement for the indemnification of officer members of the Royal Yugoslav armed forces imprisoned by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945 and now resident in the United Kingdom; and whether he will make a statement on the current position.
§ Mr. EnnalsAn agreement concluded with the Federal Republic of Germany on 9th June 1964 provided for the sum of 1 million pounds to be paid to Her Majesty's Government for distribution at their discretion to United Kingdom nationals who had suffered from National Socialist measures of persecution.
Former foreign nationals who acquired United Kingdom citizenship before 1st October 1953 were eligible to apply for participation in the distribution. Only applicants who had suffered detention in concentration camps or comparable institutions qualified; hardship suffered in a normal civil prison, civilian internment camp or prisoner of war camp did not constitute Nazi persecution. The distribution scheme closed on 31st March 1966 and no late claims were accepted.
Former members of the Royal Yugoslav armed forces would have been eligible to benefit under this Agreement, provided of course that they had obtained United Kingdom citizenship by the date specified. There have been no subsequent agreements of this nature with the Federal Republic of Germany, and no such proposals are under discussion.