HC Deb 10 April 1981 vol 2 cc356-7W
Mr. Stanbrook

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the claims which have been registered against Albanian assets in the United Kingdom, specifying the claimants, their value, and the date of registration in each case.

Mr. Blaker

The British Government have a claim against the Government of Albania in respect of the damages in the sum of £843,947 awarded to the United Kingdom by the International Court of Justice in 1949 in the Corfu Channel Case. There is also a handful of small private claims against Albania. It is not usual to publish details of such claims.

Mr. Stanbrook

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress has been made in resolving the financial problems arising from American claims against Albanian assets held in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Blaker

We have held consultations with the United States and French Governments about the gold provisionally allocated to Albania and now held in the Bank of England on behalf of the Tripartite Commission for the Restitution of Monetary Gold, and about related financial problems. These include British and American claims against Albania. Unfortunately, it has not yet proved possible to reach a generally satisfactory resolution of these problems.