HC Deb 27 January 1930 vol 234 cc585-6
8. Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUEL

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the date in 1929, and the occasion, upon which His Majesty's Government informed the Russian Soviet Government that a loan by His Majesty's Government or a grant of the British Government's credit to the Russian Soviet Government would not be given?

Mr. A. HENDERSON

The policy of His Majesty's Government in this connection was clearly stated during the course of the Debate on the 5th November last. On the 6th January of the present year, at the beginning of the negotiations foreshadowed in the Protocol of the 3rd October, I informed the Soviet Ambassador that a British Government guarantee of a loan raised by any foreign Government would be contrary to the considered policy of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, and that, consequently, they would find it impossible now to give an undertaking similar to that given in Article 12 of the General Treaty of 1924. With regard to credits, while there is no direct grant of British Government credit to the Soviet Government, credits granted to the trading organisations of the Soviet Government by traders in this country are eligible for guarantees under the Export Credits Guarantee Scheme, subject to reference to the Advisory Committee appointed for that scheme.

Mr. SAMUEL

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he gave a reply in direct contradiction of the present reply when he answered my hon. Friend the Member for South Kensington (Sir W. Davison) on the 22nd January?

Mr. HENDERSON

I am not aware that I gave any such contradictory answer.

Mr. SAMUEL

May I be allowed to read what the right hon. Gentleman said?

HON. MEMBERS

"No."

Sir WILLIAM DAVISON

Is it not a fact that the right hon. Gentleman, in reply to a supplementary question put by me asking whether, if British traders supplied goods to the Russian Government and the Russian Government defaulted, the British Government would be responsible, said "No"?

Mr. HENDERSON

I must have misunderstood the supplementary question.

Mr. THURTLE

Is it not a fact that this decision to extend the export credit facilities to Russia was taken about seven months ago, and that it is now a very belated time to make a protest against it?

Mr. SAMUEL

Does not the declaration now made by the Foreign Secretary amount to the fact that His Majesty's Government are giving a short-dated loan to the Russian delegation?

Mr. HENDERSON

No, I do not think so.

Mr. CHARLES WILLIAMS

Arising out of the original answer, what has caused the right hon. Gentleman to change the decision since 1924?

Mr. HAYCOCK

How much money is still owing to us from the Russian Whites?

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