§ 36. Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number and description of tanks, armoured vehicles, and other instruments of war exported to Soviet Russia during the last six months, with a comparison for the previous six months, and the number and description of such orders as are now in hand of similar instruments of war?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMSeparate particulars regarding the exports of tanks and of armoured vehicles are not recorded in the trade accounts. The total declared value of the exports of military, naval and ordnance stores and appliances other than arms and ammunition registered as consigned to the Soviet Union during the first six months of 1229 1931 was £72,966, the corresponding figure for the preceding six months being £40,251. As regards the last part of the question, I have nothing to add to the answer which was given to the hon. Member on 15th July.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLECannot the right hon. Gentleman give me a reply to the last part of the question, whether orders are now in hand?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI told the hon. Gentleman previously that I could not give information, even if I had it, regarding the orders of individual firms.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEWhat amount or number of these engines of war are sent to Russia under the guise of agricultural tractors?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIf the Russian Government were to order a battleship here, would it be turned down?
28. Duchess of ATHOLLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can now state the quantities and the value of all imports into this country from the Soviet Union in the first four months of 1931 or, failing this, for the first three months; and if he will give the same particulars for the years 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930?
§ Mr. GILLETTI would refer the Noble Lady to the reply given to her questions on the 26th June respecting the total imports and details of the principal commodities for the years 1928, 1929 and 1930 and the first three months of 1931. Detailed particulars of the imports from the Soviet Union during 1927 are given on pages 124 to 126 of Volume IV of the Annual Statement of Trade, 1929.
Duchess of ATHOLLCannot the figures sent to me on 26th June by the President of the Board of Trade be printed in the OFFICIAL REPORT as, I think, they will be of considerable interest to numbers of people?
§ Mr. GILLETTI will call the attention of my right hon. Friend to the Noble Lady's suggestion.
§ Sir DENNIS HERBERTOn a point of Order. May I ask whether, when a 1230 question is asked in this House and is answered by the sending of a statement, it is not the usual custom that that statement, which is an answer, should be given the same publicity as the question, by being published in the OFFICIAL REPORT. May I ask, in the interests of publicity, why it was that the answer given by way of statement to the Noble Lady on the 26th June was not published in the OFFICIAL REPORT?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI thought that was the usual custom.
§ Sir D. HERBERTI am asking for your assistance, to see that that custom is followed in future, because in this particular case the answer, in which several of us were interested, was not published.
§ Sir ARTHUR STEEL-MAITLANDMay I ask whether that statement cannot now be published, together with the answer which will appear in the OFFICIAL REPORT to-morrow?
§ Mr. GILLETTI do not know why the statement was not published, but I will certainly have the matter looked into and see if it can be published as desired.