THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19853, 14 February 1930, Page 9

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL, ANNOUNCEMENT OP PERSONNEL (uunsa omciu wibbusb.) (Received February 13th, 6.5 p.m.) RUGBY, February 12. The new Economic Advisory Council, the constitution of which the Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons to-day, will consist of men eminent in economics and in many spheres of business. Those who have consented io serve include Sir Arthur Balfour, who had been president of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, and who had served on many economic committees, Mr Bevin, leader of the Dock Workers' Union, Sir John Cadman, chairman of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Mr Walter Citrine, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Mr George Cole, reader in economics at Oxford University, Colonel Sir Andrew Duncan, chairman of the Central Electricity Board, Mr J. M. Keynes, a well-known economist, Sir Alfred Lewis, chief general manager of the National Provincial, Sir Joeiah Stamp, president of the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway Company, and a famous economist, and Mr Richard Tawny, reader in economic history at London University.

CLAIMS ON RUSSIA.

STATEMENT BY FOREIGN SECRETARY. (BRITISH OnidlU WIBBLBSS.) RUGBY, February 12. Mr Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, stated to-day in the House of Commons that no schedule of counter claims of the Soviet Government had been received during the current negotiations. In anjr statement of British claims, those arising in respect of privatelyheld bonds and other securities would be classified separately from the British Government claims, and an opportunity would be afforded for all interested parties to express their views. All pecuniary claims of whatever nature against the Soviet Government that had been notified to the British Government by British subjects since 1918 had been registered nt the Russian Claims Department of the Board of Trade. Negotiations with the Soviet Ambassador had not yet advanced sufficiently for those claims to be presented to the Ambassador. BRITISH NAVAL REDUCTIONS. LONDON, February 12. Asked whether it was proposed to scrap four ships of the Hawkins class as part of the naval reductions, the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander) said in the Hovise of Commons that he could not at this stage of the negotiations among the five Powers make any forecast of what possible reduction might result from them. Replying to another question, Mr Alexander said the number of 50 cruisers considered needful tor the British Empire had been arrived at after full investigation, and it would, it was considered, meet all requirements for the period of the agreement which it was hoped would be reached as the result of the Naval Conference. The number was subject to the satisfactory outcome of that Conference.