§ Mr. Jaggerasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet reached a decision as to the rates of commission payable to insurance societies and companies for collecting the premiums on war risk, commodities, insurance?
Major Lloyd GeorgeIt is not intended to pay to the companies and underwriters acting as the agents of the Board of Trade under the commodity insurance scheme remuneration on a commission basis. With the concurrence of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend has agreed to make, and the Board's agents have agreed to accept, payments on a scale so calculated as to do no more than defray their expenses for the work done.
§ Colonel Burtonasked the President of the Board of Trade the amount now in the fund for the insurance of goods and merchandise; whether any amounts have been paid out of the funds; and the total amount of claims made thereon?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe balance to the credit of the War Risks (Commodities) Insurance Fund on 20th February,
1548Wto allow for refugees from those parts of Poland and of the former Czechoslovakia which are not occuped by Germany. No official information is available concerning the number of such refugees in the other countries mentioned. Unofficial estimates place the totals at about 42,000 in France, about 20,000 in Belgium, and about 23,000 in the Netherlands. Figures for Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are not available, but the number is believed not to exceed a few hundred in each case. The accuracy of these unofficial figures cannot be guaranteed.
The figures, official and unofficial, given above may be reduced to tabulated form as follows:
1940, was £18,259,375. Sums paid out under the concession made in regard to the September premiums and in respect of goods declared to be uninsurable total £5,898,900. On account of claims £53 has been paid, claims aggregating £11,145 are under examination and 46 further claims have been notified of which particulars have not yet been delivered.