Mr. SANDEMAN ALLEN:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the test case arranged between the British and Hungarian Governments has yet been brought by the British Clearing Office before the Anglo-Hungarian Mixed Arbitral Tribunal to settle certain British claims for the period between July, 1919, and the date of the coming into force of the Treaty of Trianon, 1921; and, if it has, will he state what the decision was and the date last year upon which the British and Hungarian Governments agreed that the test case should be brought?

The answer is somewhat long, and my hon. Friend will, perhaps, agree to my having it circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

This case was heard by the Anglo-Hungarian Mixed Arbitral Tribunal on 12th February, and judgment was given in favour of the claimant on 3rd March. The Tribunal decided that the Hungarian Government was responsible to the British national concerned for the payment of all dividends upon her holding of secured bonds of the former Hungarian Government which had accrued due during the War, with the exception of one coupon, the payment of which had been suspended to all holders, Allied, Hungarian, neutral or others.

In reply to the last part of the question, it was agreed with the Hungarian Government at the end of September last, after discussions for a settlement upon the basis of an earlier decision of the Tribunal had proved abortive, that this case should be brought to decide the point in dispute.