72. Captain CAZALETasker the President of the Board of Trade, how many British ships called at the port of Leningrad and other ports in the Union, of Soviet Socialist Republics during the periods, 1933–34, 1934–35, and 1935 to the most convenient date in the present year.
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI regret that the information for which my hon. and gallant. Friend asks is not available. An indication of the general position is, however, given by the fact that the amount credited under the Anglo-Russian Trade Agreement to Russia in respect of the chartering of British ships was £1,442,000 in the year 1934 and £1,470,000 in 1935. Similar figures are not yet available for the current year, but the Russian chartering authorities have stated that they chartered 794,000 tons of British shipping in the first five months of the present year as compared with 666,500 tons in the corresponding period of last year.
Captain CAZALETIs it not possible to get from our consulate in Leningrad the number of times British ships have called there in the last few years?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe information which I have given to the House covers not only Leningrad but other Russian ports as well.