§ Mr. Gammansasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is satisfied that the Malayan Government will be able to collect sufficient funds to pay adequate compensation for loss of property due to enemy action in Malaya; whether, in view of the partial responsibility of the British Government for the protection of Malaya, some contribution can be made from Great Britain; and whether some contribution can be made to provide immediate funds to meet urgent cases of hardship as with similar claims in connection with war damage in this country.
§ Mr. George HallIt is proposed that Claims Commissions should be set up as soon as possible for each of the Far Eastern Colonial Territories to register and assess claims for property lost or damaged as the result of the war. A full statement on the subject is given below. Pending the results of the Commissions' investigations it is not possible to say to what extent local funds will be sufficient to meet accepted claims, and the question whether any contribution can be made by His Majesty's Government will have to be considered in the light of claims186W not only from the Far Eastern Colonial territories, but also from other parts of the Empire in similar circumstances.
In reply to the last part of the Question, while no payment can be made against claims pending the outcome of the above investigations, I would refer to my reply to a Question on 31st October, 1945, by the hon. and gallant Member for Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) in which I mentioned certain forms of assistance for which British subjects coming to this country after release from captivity in Hong Kong were eligible in suitable cases. Those coming from Malaya are eligible for similar assistance.