§ 37. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 926 what steps are being taken in connection with the negotiations now in progress with regard to trade between this country and Russia to secure payment of the arbitral award of approximately £13,000,000 in favour of Lena Goldfields, Limited?
§ Mr. EDENI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply returned by the Lord President of the Council to his question on this subject on the 13th March last, to which alt present I have nothing to add.
§ Sir W. DAVISONDoes my bon. Friend realise that since then negotiations have been resumed and that this question of the agreement with regard to the Lena Goldfields is on a different footing from almost any other, because it is an agreement made by the present Soviet Government and is not a Tsarist debt in any sense of the word?
§ Mr. EDENThe matter was raised when the negotiations were resumed earlier this year. It will not be lost sight of. The steps to be taken are now under consideration.
Mr. OWEN EVANSIn view of the many questions addressed to the hon. Gentleman on this matter, may I ask him whether, in negotiating the terms of the trade agreement with Russia, he will, with a view to securing the best possible terms to this country, carefully exclude from the discussions matters which are entirely extraneous and irrelevant, and such questions as the claim mentioned in the question and claims by individuals?