§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the queries put to the Czechoslovak authorities in regard to claims lodged under the Foreign Compensation (Czechoslovakia) Order 1982 remain unanswered; how many of the claims have now been settled; when it is expected that the remainder will be settled; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarThe Czechoslovak authorities have so far sent 578 replies to the 1,700 queries put to them by the Foreign Compensation Commission. The commission itself has withdrawn 225 of these queries and the balance outstanding is thus close to 900. As at the end of October the commission had made provisional awards totalling £303,441 in 181 cases, provisionally dismissed 146 applications, and summarily dismissed 181 others, while 113 claims have been withdrawn altogether and 9 claims have been abated. The commission is currently examining ways and means of speeding up its remaining work.