§ Sir W. Smilesasked the Secretary of State for Air as representing the Secretary of State for Burma, what is the position of British subjects who lost all their possessions in Burma in 1941; how many claims have been heard by the Far Eastern Claims Commission, Board of Trade; and when compensation will be paid to Major Joseph McCartney of Bangor, C. Down, and at what rate.
§ Mr. A. HendersonClaims for compensation in respect of war damage in Burma have been registered by the Burma War Damage Commission in Rangoon, which 33W has now submitted a preliminary report. The Office of the Far Eastern Claims Commission at the Board of Trade performs only liaison services for the Burma War Damage Commission. In this capacity it has issued more than 1,200 claims forms, of which approximately 220 have been completed and passed to the Burma War Damage Commission by the Board of Trade. Additional claims have, no doubt, been sent direct to the Burma Commission in Rangoon. It did not prove possible to reach agreement as to the action to be taken on the claims submitted during the recent visit to this country of representatives of the Government of Burma, and it was agreed that the matter should be further examined between His Majesty's Government and the Government of Burma. I regret, therefore, that I am not in a position in these circumstances to give the information desired in the particular case of Major McCartney.