§ MR. PUGHasked the Secretary of State for India, Whether Returns showing the net disbursements from the various Civil Treasuries in India to the Military Department, together with the total receipts and disbursements and the cash balances at such Treasuries, are not duly forwarded every month to the Financial Department at Calcutta, addressed to the Financial Secretary or some other official at the Department; and, whether such Returns, up to and including the January Return, had not 1046 been received previous to the publication of the Budget on the 24th day of February 1880?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, Returns, showing the total receipts and disbursements and the cash balances at the various Civil Treasuries in India, including the net disbursements to the Military Department, are duly forwarded, every month, to the Controller General in Calcutta. Such Returns usually reach the Controller General within six weeks of the termination of the month to which they relate. The January Return was received on the 10th of March. Separate Returns of the actual cash balances held in the Treasuries on the last day of each month are rendered to the Controller General and to the Financial Secretary, and usually have reached them within four weeks of the date to which the Returns refer. When specially called for, as at a time when the Budget is in preparation, they have always been rendered within a fortnight, and this has recently become the regular practice.