§ 93. Colonel Ropnerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he is taking to ensure that appropriate compensation is made to those members of His Majesty's Forces who were prisoners of war in the Far East and who were deprived of prisoner-of-war rights when in captivity.
§ Mr. YoungerClaims for compensation against Japan on behalf of prisoners of war, and other nationals, of the British Commonwealth and other countries concerned, amount to very considerable sums. The matter is under consideration, but on the basis of our examination of this question, I doubt whether presentation of such claims would lead to their satisfaction.
As regards the possibility of compensation being paid by His Majesty's Government, I would refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence on 4th April, 1950, in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Colonel Gomme-Duncan), of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.