§ Mr. GEORGE JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Bolshevist government have sent an offer to His Majesty's Government to exchange Razkolnikov and others, now prisoners in the hands of His Majesty, for members of the British Military Mission to the Caucasus, now prisoners in the hands of the Bolshevist government at Butiska prison; whether he is aware that a serious outbreak of typhus is raging at Butiska prison; whether he is aware that the food supplied to the British prisoners at Butiska prison has greatly deteriorated lately, and that it is likely that they will soon be unable to get food from outside sources; whether the International and Red Cross Societies have recently had to retire from the neighbourhood of Butiska prison; whether he in aware that a considerable number of the members of the French Military Mission to the Caucasus, who were arrested by the Bolshevist government at about the same time as the members of the British Military Mission to the Caucasus, have been released; and whether he is taking any steps to secure the release of the members of the British Military Mission to the Caucasus?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe answer to the first and last part of the hon. Member's question is that an offer has been received from the Bolshevist Government proposing the exchange of the British Military Mission to the Caucasus for certain Russian subjects now prisoners in the hands of His Majesty's Government, and that negotiations are at present in pro- 385W gress for the exchange of all British naval, military, and civilian prisoners in the hands of the Russian Bolshevist Government.
As regards the outbreak of typhus, whiles detailed information is not available, a report has been received that on 12th March a British subject died of heart-failure following that illness, and that another was suffering from the same disease. It is understood that the food supplied in the prison is of poor quality, but the prisoners are now reported to be in receipt of the extra food and comforts which have been sent out by His Majesty's Government through representatives of the British International and Danish Red Cross Societies. These consignments are reported to be arriving regularly. No information has hitherto been received that the International and Danish Red Cross Societies have recently had to retire from the neighbourhood of the Butiska prison. His Majesty's Government understands that the remaining members of the French Military Mission have been released from prison, but that they are not yet at liberty to return to France.