Miss Rathboneasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will take steps, if necessary by introducing legislation, to make available for the assistance of refugees from the former Czecho-Slovakia the unexpended balance of the £6,000,000 loan promised under the February agreement to the Czecho-Slovak Republic on the understanding that it would ultimately be used for the settlement of refugees within Czecho-Slovakia? (2) How much of the loan of £6,000,000 and of the grant of £4,000,000 promised to the former Czecho-Slovak Republic under the February agreement remains unexpended and under the control of the Treasury; and how much of the £4,000,000 grant allocated to the migra- 743W tion and settlement of refugees from Czecho-Slovakia remains unexpended and not already required for refugees for whom responsibility has already been taken by the responsible British committee or by similar organisations in other states.
§ Sir J. SimonI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Willesden (Mr. Hammersley) on Thursday last, and to the Supplementary Estimate presented on Tuesday last for a grant-in-aid to the Czecho-Slovak Refugee Trust Fund. The unexpended balance of the free gift amounts to about £3,500,000. It will be for the trustees of the fund to decide how much of this unexpended balance will be required for existing commitments.