§ 33. Mr. JOHNasked the Prime Minister whether the Russian Supreme Economic Council has decided to open the Grozny and Baku oilfields to concessionaires; whether European oil companies have already put in bids for concessions in these districts; and whether England would be in a particularly favourable position for the supply of machinery for these undertakings if the Russian trade agreement had been signed?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWAs regards the first and second parts of the question, statements recently appeared in the Press that concessions in these districts were on offer and that certain oil companies were in communication with the Soviet authorities. So far as is known, however, nothing has resulted from these negotiations, which, so far as they applied to lands already held by British interests, could not be countenanced by His Majesty's Government. As regards the last part of the question, the Russian trade agreement would not have given the United Kingdom any preference in this matter.