§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his estimates of the numbers of Russian Jews who have been allowed to emigrate in each of the last six months.
§ Mr. RentonThe figures available to us for the last six months are as follows:
Number 1985 August 29 September 93 October 124 November 128 December 92 1986 January 79
§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he has made in recent times to raise the problem of those Jews in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics who have applied to emigrate and been refused under the terms of the Helsinki agreement on human rights; with what effect; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThe question of Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union was raised by my right hon. and learned Friend, then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) during his meeting with Soviet First Deputy Foreign Minister Kornienko in Moscow last July. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the Soviet Union's failure to live up to its CSCE commitments with Mr. Shevardnadze on 1 August 1985. My noble Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lady Young, made similar representations to Deputy Foreign Minister Ryzhov on 21 January. We shall continue to take suitable opportunities to press the Soviet Union on these important matters.