§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will provide 230W financial assistance to individuals advised by his Department to pursue claims under Ugandan law for the repossession of, or compensation for, expropriated property or assets;
(2) whether he will provide financial assistance to the Uganda Evacuees Association to give advice on claims by individuals for repossession of, or compensation for, expropriated assets or property in Uganda;
(3) whether he will provide legal assistance for persons intending to repossess property or assets or claim compensation for expropriated property or assets in Uganda.
§ Mr. RifkindNo. It is normal British Government policy that a cliamant against a foreign State must pay his own, and his agent's and solicitors' costs and expenses incurred on his instructions in preparing or supporting his claim. The British Government could not therefore give either financial or legal assistance to the individual claimants or to the Uganda Evacuees Association.
§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the precise provisions of Ugandan law which allow for compensation for expropriated property or assets, and which establish process or machinery for the pursuit of individual claims for compensation.
§ Mr. RifkindAs the answer to this question is lengthy, I have placed copies of the Ugandan Expropriated Properties Act and the accompanying regulations in the Library of the House. So far as compensation is concerned, the relevant sections of the Act are 8 and 11.
Details of the procedures which claimants should follow in order to claim compensation have been obtained from the Ugandan high commissioner in London and are being notified by circular letter to all claimants of whom the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware. I have placed copies of this letter also in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will establish machinery to expedite claims for repossession of property or assets in Uganda.
§ Mr. RifkindIt will be for the individual claimants to pursue their claims for repossession of property or assets in Uganda through the machinery established by the Ugandan Government. The British high commission in Kampala will be monitoring progress, and if it appears that claimants are encountering particular problems with their claims the high commissioner will be ready to consider making representations to the Ugandan Government on their behalf.
§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make representations to the Uganda Government about the application of the 90-day limit in relation to claims for repossession of, or compensation for, expropriated property or assets in Uganda.
§ Mr. RifkindWe have already instructed our high commissioner in Kampala to make representations to the Ugandan Government with a view to their extending the 90-day limit for applications for compensation, and have spoken similarly to the Ugandan high commissioner in London. There is no case for seeking an extension of the 231W 90-day limit for applications for repossession of expropriated property or assets in Uganda which has been well known to claimants since February.