§ 49. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of the Russian debt, including interest, which is owing to this country; the amount of claims made by British nationals against the Russian Soviet Government lodged with the British Government; the total amount of the counterclaims by the Soviet Government, and the nature of such claims; and the total amount claimed by Russian nationals from this country?
§ Mr. McNEILL (The Financial Secretary to the Treasury)The total amount of the debt of the Soviet Government to His Majesty's Government, including interest to date, is £804,000,000. The amount of claims against the Soviet Government lodged by British nationals is approximately £255,000,000. No definite counterclaims have been presented by the Soviet Government on behalf of that Government or of Russian nationals. The Soviet Delegation presented to the Anglo-Soviet Conference of 1924 a statement which purported to set forth the financial losses caused to the Government and nationals of the Soviet Union by British intervention, but was in fact an estimate in vague terms and of a very exaggerated character of the damage and losses caused to Russia by the Bolshevist Revolution and subsequent events.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs it not the fact that the Russian Government have specifically claimed against the British Government for damages that are on all fours with the damages paid to the American Government under the "Alabama" claim for illegal intervention in the affairs of a country with which this country was not at war?
§ Mr. McNEILLNo, Sir; the answer is in the negative.
§ Mr. MACKINDERDoes the first figure given in the answer refer to parts which previously were Russia and which are now the territory of other countries?
§ Mr. McNEILLI could riot answer that question without notice.
§ Mr. TAYLORCan the right hon. Gentleman say how much of the total of £255,000,000 representing the claims of British firms has been allowed before in connection with Excess Profits Duty and Income Tax as paid by the firms in ques- 349 tion, and whether it is not a fact that that has been allowed in the case of large claimants, but that the Government have done nothing for the small investors who have lost their capital?
§ Mr. McNEILLI really could not answer a question of that sort without notice, but my impression is that the facts stated by the hon. Member are inaccurate.
§ Mr. McNEILLI do not think that that question has ever had to be considered.
Captain BENNWill the right hon. Gentleman consult the Prime Minister as to whether the position of the Government is that the Russian Government have no valid counterclaim on account of intervention?