§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in obtaining compensation for United Kingdom citizens in Cyprus who suffered loss and damage as a result of the Turkish invasion; how many claims have been sent to the Turkish Government and how many have not yet been met.
§ Lord BelsteadSome 1,000 United Kingdom citizens submitted personal claims to the Turkish Cypriot Claims Commission, which was established in 1978 to consider claims arising from the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. By April 1981, of some 280ex-gratia awards approved, 133 totalling about £430,000 had been paid. The Claims Commission was without a chairman from then until September 1982, during which period no claims were considered and no awards paid. The Commission has now resumed work under a new Chairman and to date 17 further awards totalling £42,000 have been paid. About £290,000 remains in the Turkish Cypriot budget for this year for compensation awards.