§ 37. Viscount CURZONasked the Prime Minister at what rate money is now being provided out of the British Exchequer for the maintenance of refugees of various nationalities throughout the world; and what is the total number of refugees who are a charge upon the British Exchequer?
Mr. YOUNGThe refugees being maintained by His Majesty's Government consist of Russians and Armenians. There are also some Assyrians who fought for us and who took refuge in Mesopotamia. These also have been supported by us but they are being settled in Mesopotamian territory, and a final charge of £400,000 for them, including present maintenance and final settlement charges, appears in the recent Estimate for the Middle East. In addition, a sum of £3,000 has been placed at the disposal of the Committee for the Relief of British Subjects from Russia in the current year, and there are some Russian refugees in Serbia, Cyprus, Egypt and Mesopotamia—the latter having come from the Caspian Sea. Approximately, the total number of refugees of all foreign nationalities including the Assyrians mentioned above, is 37,500, and the monthly cost of maintenance, £90,000. The number will be reduced to 17,700 when the Assyrians are settled and the Russians at Basra shipped to Vladivostock as proposed.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWill the Treasury consider the advisability of reducing the grants for these refugees by the same amount as the unemployment donation is being reduced in this country?
63. Sir J. D. REESasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the nature of the obligation under which the British Government lies to support for an indefinite period Russian, Armenian, and other refugees; and whether, seeing that any undertaking made on behalf of the Government, whether by express or implied sanction, has been redeemed by the long-continued maintenance in idleness of these people, the Government will now announce to them that within a month from an early given date they must, like others, fend for themselves?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe Russian refugees, for whom His Majesty's Government 883 have assumed responsibility, consist of the remnants of the Volunteer Army who were evacuated from South Russia early in 1920 under an assurance given on behalf of His Majesty's Government that the families of General Denikin's officers should not suffer if the anti-Bolshevik forces were defeated. There are, in addition, a small number of Russians at Basra who had to be evacuated from West Persia towards the end of last year. While His Majesty's Government do not regard their obligations as indefinite, they cannot desert refugees for whom they assumed responsibility, until some means have been found for enabling them to earn their own living. The Armenian and Assyrian refugees took up arms on the side of the Allies during the War, and since the Armistice have been maintained by His Majesty's Government until arrangements can be made for their future settlement. In this connection I would refer my hon. Friend to the speech of the Secretary of State for the Colonies made in this House on Tuesday last.
Sir J. D. REESDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that there is an obligation to the British taxpayer over-riding these obligations which it might be held to have been handsomely discharged?
Mr. HARMSWORTHMy hon. Friend knows as well as any Member of the House how anxious the Government are to rid themselves of this responsibility, but it still remains a responsibility.
§ Captain W. BENNDo we understand that this is one of the residuary obligations of the anti-Bolshevik adventures earlier last year, and could we have a revised Estimate showing exactly what the public has paid for these unsuccessful adventures?
Mr. J. JONESWill the hon. Gentle man undertake to apply a similar principle to British unemployed who want maintenance?