A British Government spokesman said in Commons yesterday that Britain was watching the progress of new compensation legislation in West Germany which would provide compensation for refugees persecuted by the Nazi regime on grounds of nationality.
The statement was made by George Thomson, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in reply to a question by Sir Tutfon Beamish, Conservative Member of Parliament. Sir Tufton had asked the Minister to make representations to the West German Government on the matter. The deputy said the legislation did not adequately fulfill the obligations accepted by the Bonn Government in the convention signed at Bonn in May 1952 in settlement of matters arising out of the war and the occupation.
The Minister, in his written reply, said that draft legislation on that question and related matters was now under consideration by the restitution committee of West Germany’s lower House. He said Britain had “subjected this draft legislation to careful examination and its progress will be followed with close attention.” He added that the Government felt that representations would not be “appropriate” at the present time.
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