§ Mr. A. SHORTasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the total number of Russian prisoners at present 688W held by Great Britain and their present distribution in the various countries, distinguishing between prisoners belonging to the border States which have proclaimed their independence and prisoners belonging to the rest of Russia?
§ Mr. HIRSTasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the total number of Russian prisoners held in Germany, distinguishing between prisoners belonging to the border States which have proclaimed their independence and prisoners belonging to the rest of Russia?
§ Mr. BROMFIELDasked the Secretary of State for War what steps have been taken with regard to the repatriation of Russian prisoners now in the custody of the Allies or Germany?
§ Mr. W. CARTERasked the Secretary of State for War what is the total number of Russian prisoners at present held by the Allies and their present distribution in the various countries, distinguishing between prisoners belonging to the border States which have proclaimed their independence and prisoners belonging to the rest of Russia; and the number of Russians interned and their present distribution in the various countries, making the same distinction as in the case of war prisoners?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe total number of Russian prisoners in Germany at present is reported to be approximately 200,000. I have no information as to how many belong to border States who have proclaimed their independence. By a decision of the Supreme Allied Council in Paris, the responsibility for the repatriation of Russian prisoners in Germany rests with the German Government. There are at present in the United Kingdom one hundred Bolshevik hostages who form the subject of the negotiations which are being carried on with a view to obtaining the release of British subjects in Russia. Other than these, there are reported to be a few, certainly not a dozen, in Mesopotamia, whilst there are also a few Russians, formerly prisoners of war in enemy hands, whose number does not exceed fifty, who are in process of repatriation as far as possible to the districts from which they originated. I have no information as to the number of Russians in Allied hands.
§ Mr. WATERSONasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the total 689W number of Russian prisoners formerly in the custody of the Allies and Germany who have taken service under Koltchak, Denikin, or Yudenitch, or in any other force fighting against the Russian Soviet Republic?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThis information is not available, and could only be obtained by special inquiries which I do not feel justified in undertaking.