BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20271, 2 December 1927, Page 9

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS. (Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, November 30. (Received Dec. 1, at 5.5 p.m.) In the House of Commons Sir Austen Chamberlain, in answer to a question, said ho had received no information that the Soviet delegates at Geneva intended to raise the question of the resumption of relations between Britain and Russia in view of Mr Baldwin’s recent speech. Commander Bellairs asked: “If the question arises will you seek repudiation of the Soviet Prime Minister’s declaration in the Red Parliament on October 21 that the workers’ only chance was the adoption of measures of revolution? ’’ There was no answer. Sir Austen Chamberlain stated that no communications were passing between the British and Russian Governments through the Norwegian or any other friendly Government concerning the Poland-Lithuanian situation. There was nothing to prevent the League communicating with Russia on the subject. Mr Bridgeman, in answer to a question, said that the sum of £7,750,000 in the Admiralty Estimates for Singapore represented the cost of developing the naval base at the old strait. It did not include the cost of the military air defences. The Foreign Secretary stated that, besides Great Britain, only France and Poland had ratified the Geneva Opium Convention of 1925. The ratification by Great Britain covered all parts of the Empire other than Canada and the Irish Free State.—A. and N.Z. and Svdnev Sun Cable.