§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on discussions with the Government of Uganda regarding the payment of compensation to former citizens of Uganda who were expelled and are currently living in Britain.
§ Mr. EggarWe have made it clear to successive Administrations in Uganda that we attach importance to 197W their paying compensation to British nationals whose property was taken over by the Uganda Government in 1972. More than 140 properties were returned by the Obote Administration under the provisions of the Expropriated Properties Act 1982 to British nationals and companies who had applied for repossession. We have pressed both that Administration and the new authorities in Uganda also to make a start on the over 1,000 British claims for compensation under that Act. Earlier this year we gave the Uganda Government a list of 67 British claimants aged 70 years or over whom we considered merit priority treatment in view of their advanced years. The new authorities in Uganda have assured us that they will honour all Ugandan commitments. They have also confirmed that the Expropriated Properties Act remains in force.