§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made in recent times to the Soviet Union to recognise the requests of Soviet Jews who wish to emigrate to Israel; what information he has regarding Jewish emigration figures from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1984 and 1985 to the most recent week; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindMy right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and my right hon. and learned Friend, both raised the plight of Soviet Jewry with Mr. Gorbachev last December and made clear our concern at the drastic cutback in the permitted level of Jewish emigration since 1979. According to our records, around 900 Jews were allowed to leave the Soviet Union in 1984; the figure for the first quarter of 1985 was 247. We shall continue to press this matter and the wider problems of Soviet Jewry with the Soviet authorities on every suitable occasion.