HC Deb 07 December 1925 vol 189 cc50-1W
Commander LOCKER - LAMPSON

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many British subjects have lodged claims for imprisonment without trial in Soviet Russia; how many have received compensation, and what amount; and does His Majesty's Government intend to take any steps to obtain satisfaction for those sufferers who have not yet been compensated?

Mr. R. McNEILL

The information at my disposal docs not enable me to distinguish between the claims of imprisoned British subjects who underwent some form of trial and those who did not; but the total number of claims in respect of imprisonment between 1917 and 1920 registered with the Russian Claims Department is 309. These include six claims in respect of death in prison, while certainly five and possibly six relate to persons who died, on release or later, as a result of imprisonment. Seventeen persons claim to have been permanently disabled as a result of their imprisonment. In two cases compensation was received by the claimant, Mrs. Stan Harding being paid £3,000 in respect of her own claim and Mrs. J. C. Davison £10,000 in respect of the death of her husband in August, 1923.

With regard to the last part of the question, I regret that I cannot at this moment expect satisfaction from any renewal of the representations made by His Majesty's Government on behalf of the remainder of these unfortunate claimants.

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