HC Deb 07 November 1884 vol 293 cc1212-3
MR. LABOUCHERE

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he will either state to the House, or present in a Return to the House, the amount of all moneys expended (inclusive of the value of stores, military or otherwise), in or on Egypt, which have been paid, or which are to be paid by this Country from January 1st 1878, until the recent arrival of Lord Wolseley in Egypt?

MR. COURTNEY

We have done our best to get such information as can be given in answer to the Question of my hon. Friend. It has been impossible to get figures for the current year, so we have stopped at the 31st of last March, and we have begun with the financial year 1878–9. With these limitations the net expenditure in and on Egypt, in the sense in which the Question is understood during the last six financial years, may be put in round figures at £4,250,000. Of this £1,877,000 has fallen on Army Votes, £1,809,000 on Navy Votes, about £64,000 on various Civil Votes, while £500,000 was contributed towards the expenditure of India on the Expedition of 1882.

LORD JOHN MANNERS

asked the hon. Member if he would give the figures for each year—how much in one year, and how much in another?

MR. COURTNEY

said, he had not got the figures by him.

MR. CHAPLIN

With reference to the reply given by the Secretary to the Treasury, I would like to ask him if he can state to the House when he will be in a position to give further information as to the whole amount of expenditure in Egypt up to the time of Lord Wolseley's arrival? I understood the hon. Gentleman to state the amount of expenditure as only up to the 31st March, 1883.

MR. COURTNEY

The information I gave was up to the end of the last financial year—that is, up to the 31st March of this year. It is impossible to obtain later information, because the Departments are not in a position to give it.