asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the nationalities of Mr. Rutenberg and Mr. Novomeysky when they applied for the Palestinian concessions and their nationality when the grant of these concessions was approved in principle?

Mr. Novomeysky had been provisionally recognised as a Palestinian citizen for some years before he formally applied for the Dead Sea concession. He acquired that status fifteen months before the grant of the concession was approved in principle. The Rutenberg concessions were granted before the Palestinian Citizenship Order in Council was made, but Mr. Rutenberg had acquired that status by naturalisation before the final documents were signed.

What were the nationalities of these two gentlemen before they acquired Palestinian citizenship?

I think Russian in both cases.