§ Mr. NIELDasked the President of the Local Government Board (1) whether he has issued any instruction to the special 2030W Russian tribunal sitting in London to refuse to accept or to hear an application for exemption made to them in respect of a person whose business premises are within the area of such special tribunal; if so, what is the date and other particulars of such instruction; and (2) whether he is aware that the special Russian tribunal set up for the county of London is refusing to hear applications from Russian subjects who are resident outside the county of London though carrying on business within it, and so are compelling Russians to appear before ordinary local tribunals who have no Russian representative sitting upon them and therefore are unable to appreciate the special conditions relating to Russians which has been the occasion for making those appointments on the special tribunals and advisory committees in London, and if he will say what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERIn reply to the two questions asked by my hon. and learned Friend, the Special Local Tribunal for London 'deals with applications for Russian subjects which would otherwise be made to an ordinary local tribunal in the area of the Administrative County of London. The Special Tribunal would, therefore, be the body to deal with applications on grounds of business or employment if the business or employment is situated in the area of the administrative county, and with application on personal grounds if the place of residence is within that area. I have no evidence that the Tribunal are refusing to deal with applications properly made to them, but I am sending them a copy of the hon. Member's questions and of my reply. The fact that a man is employed in the area of the administrative county does not make the special tribunal the proper authority for dealing with an application by him if the application is on personal grounds and he resides outside the area.