§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Under Secretary of State for India, with reference to the recent statement of Lord Kimberley, that—
They had spent upon Railways in India during the last three years the following sums;—In 1881–2, £5,729,606; 1832–3, £6,493,100; and in 1888–4 £8,304,700;If he can state to what extent interest upon this outlay has been guaranteed by the Government; and, for what time the guarantee is to run?
§ MR. J. K. CROSSI am glad of the opportunity of correcting an error in the figures which were supplied to Lord Kimberley by the Department, and I need not say how much the Secretary of State regrets the mistake. On further examination, it has been found that those figures included certain consider- 889 able items which will be charged to the Revenue account of the Indian Railways, and which, therefore, should not have been treated as capital expenditure, though temporarily appearing in the capital account. The correct figures of capital expenditure on Indian Railways are—1881–2, £4,020,000; 1882–3, £4,452,000 (revised Estimate); 1883–4, £6,626,000 (Budget Estimate). Besides which, the Bengal and North-Western Company, which is not in any way subsidized by the State, may have spent from £400,000 to £500,000. The Estimate of expenditure for 1883–4 appears to be in excess of the amount actually spent, which, according to the latest telegram, is £5,368,000. The portion of the estimated expenditure of these three years on which interest would be guaranteed is £4,980,000; interest on £900,000 being guaranteed for about five years, and on the remainder until the lines become the property of the State by purchase.