HC Deb 19 April 1923 vol 162 cc2281-2W
Mr. MACLEAN

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the loan of £562,000,000, advanced by the Government of this country to the Russian Government during the War, was spent in this country; whether any of the proceeds of the loan, in the form of warlike or non-warlike stores, were despatched to Russia between 7th November and 30th November, 1917, and who were the actual consignees; whether any of the proceeds of the loan, either in the form of warlike or non-warlike stores, were despatched to Generals Denikin, Koltchak, Yudenitch, or Wrangel; and whether any of the proceeds of the loan, in any form, are now under the control of His Majesty's Government?

Mr. BALDWIN

Of the sums lent by His Majesty's Government to the Russian Government during the War about £74,000,000 was spent in the United States of America. The balance of £488,000,000 was spent mainly in the United Kingdom, but exact figures are not available. The stores purchased by the representatives of the Russian Government out of the proceeds of loans made by this country continued to be consigned by those representatives to Russia between 7th November and 30th November, 1917. The actual consignees were named by the Russian representatives in this country, who were responsible for arranging for the delivery of stores to the competent Government Departments and authorities in Russia: accordingly I have no information on this point. As regards the fourth and fifth parts of the question, when the despatch of the goods was stopped they were taken over by British Government Departments and their value credited in the accounts to the Russian Government. Some of the goods so taken over were among those eventually despatched to the generals named (Command Paper 772 of 1920); those for which no use was found were handed over to the Disposal Board. His Majesty's Government have no control over the proceeds of the loan.