§ Colonel YATEasked the Home Secretary whether any protests have been received from public authorities regarding the allowances paid to the wives and dependants of Russian aliens who elected to return to Russia rather than to fight for the Allies; if so, what action has been taken in the matter; and what do these allowances consist of?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERI have been asked by my right hon. Friend to answer this question. As I have previously stated, the allowances referred to are paid to the dependants of Russians who returned to Russia for military service, in compliance with the terms of the Anglo-Russian (Military Service) Convention. The allowances, which are at the rate of 12s. 6d. a week for an adult and 2s. 6d. a week for a child, are only paid in necessitous cases, and the necessary funds have been provided by His Majesty's Government, on the understanding that they will be ultimately recovered from Russia. A few boards of guardians have raised objections to the payment of these allowances, but it is not proposed for the present to discontinue the existing arrangements.