Oral Answers to Questions — Russia. – in the House of Commons am ar 18 Mehefin 1924.
Mr James Gilbert
, Southwark Central
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there has been any change in the personnel of the Russian delegation sent to this country to discuss negotiations with the Soviet Government; if so, will he state what changes have been made; and how many of the original delegates are still in this country and acting in the negotiations?
Mr Arthur Ponsonby
, Sheffield, Brightside
The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, and the second part does not, therefore, arise. As far as I am aware, nine of the delegates are at present in this country.
Sir William Davison
, Kensington South
asked the Prime Minister what is the total staff of the Soviet diplomatic and trade delegations now in this country; where their office or offices are situated; and whether the Government are satisfied that no Com- munist or other propaganda against the Laws and institutions of this country is being carried on by any member of the said delegations or of the staffs attached thereto?
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Aberafan
According to the information at my disposal, the staff of the Soviet Embassy numbers approximately 22 persons and that of the Soviet Trade Delegation 16 persons. The address of the Embassy is 128, New Bond Street, and that of the trade delegation 49, Moorgate Street. With regard to the last part of the question, I have no official information.
Sir William Davison
, Kensington South
Do I understand that the total staffs attached to the trade delegation and the Embassy only number 20 or 30 people?
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Aberafan
Thirty-eight.
Sir William Davison
, Kensington South
It is not the case that there is a number like 100 or 200?
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Aberafan
That is my information.
Mr Ronald McNeill
, Canterbury
The right hon. Gentleman says he has no official information. Does that mean he does not regard this as a matter of any importance, or that there is no means of ascertaining?
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Aberafan
Certainly not the former.
Mr Ronald McNeill
, Canterbury
Will he take some steps to find out?
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Laws are the rules by which a country is governed. Britain has a long history of law making and the laws of this country can be divided into three types:- 1) Statute Laws are the laws that have been made by Parliament. 2) Case Law is law that has been established from cases tried in the courts - the laws arise from test cases. The result of the test case creates a precedent on which future cases are judged. 3) Common Law is a part of English Law, which has not come from Parliament. It consists of rules of law which have developed from customs or judgements made in courts over hundreds of years. For example until 1861 Parliament had never passed a law saying that murder was an offence. From the earliest times courts had judged that murder was a crime so there was no need to make a law.
