§ 104. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what was the gross value of claims by the United Kingdom upon the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as successor to the Baltic States, and the gross value of Soviet claims on the United Kingdom for assets of those States held in the United Kingdom, included in the settlement announced by Her Majesty's Government on 13th February; and what is the gross value of outstanding claims by Her Majesty's Government on the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which were excluded from the scope of this settlement.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe settlement announced on 13th February referred to all the post-1939 claims and counter claims which have since 1959 been the subject of discussion between our two 17W Governments. As stated in my Answer to the hon. Gentleman the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Sir W. Teeling) on 20th February, these included on our side, besides the several kinds of Baltic claims, claims arising from the cession of territory to the Soviet Union by Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Rumania and the question of the Lena and Tetiuhe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics State Notes. We are now proceeding to the fomulation of the agreement reached when Mr. Kosygin was in London. I think it would be misleading for those who are concerned with the likely outcome of the distribution of the assets which will now be available to compensate British claimants to disclose the value of any particular category of claims on either side.
Pre-1939 claims (which it was agreed with the Soviet Government of 1959 should be left in abeyance, pending a settlement of post-1939 claims) were not included in the scope of this settlement. The estimated amount of outstanding claims by Her Majesty's Government in this category is about £800 million, of which £500 million represents claims by Her Majesty's Government and £360 million private claims.—[Vol. 741, c.203.]