§ 20. Sir RENNELL RODDasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that, as officially stated in the Russian newspaper, Rul, of 11th February, 200 persons are to be sent to the Russian Commercial Commission in London, most of whom have been trained in a school of Communist propaganda; that among the qualifications necessary in the future for all members of commercial agencies will be the tenure of an active or reserve appointment in the red army; whether he will represent to the Russian Government the desirability of restricting the number of the proposed Russian staff in London; and whether His Majesty's Government will endeavour to ensure that these com- 2226 mercial agencies are used exclusively for trade and not for subversive propaganda?
Mr. A. HENDERSONThe right hon. Gentleman appears to be under some misapprehension about any "official" statement. According to my information, the newspaper referred to is published outside the Soviet Union and is in opposition to the Soviet Government. Nothing has occurred to justify any representations to the Soviet Government on the lines suggested by the right hon. Gentleman in the latter part of his question.