§ MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)asked the Under Secretery of State for India, (1) Whether, in reply to the despatch of the Secretary of State for India, dated August 11, 1887, requesting that any available statistics in regard to lock hospitals in the Punjaub, as well as in other parts of India, should be regularly forwarded in future, the India Office have received copies of the Annual Report of the Secunderabad Lock Hospital for 1887, and of the lock hospital in Lucknow for 1887; (2) whether the India Office possesses the reprint, dated August 1, 1887, of the Cantonment Regulations containing the Special Committee's Exposition of the Lock Hospital Rules, or any other copy of that Exposition; and, (3) whether these Lock Hospital Rules are at present in force or not?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)My answer to the first Question is no, they are not yet received; (2) yes; (3) paragraph 7 of the despatch of the Secretary of State, No. 180 of May 17, 1888, which has already been presented to Parliament, instructed the Government of India to undertake a careful revision of the Cantonment Lock Hospital Rules upon the principles there laid 1234 down. The carrying out of these instructions will supersede many of the existing Rules.
§ MR. JAMES STUARTasked, whether the India Office were generally so long in receiving the important documents they asked for as in this case? The document to which he referred was issued on January 1 last.
§ [No reply.]
§ MR. M'LAREN (Cheshire, Crewe)said, that Viscount Cross lately stated to a deputation that the whole of the Regulations under the Cantonments Acts with regard to those diseases were absolutely suspended and non-existent; and he asked whether the Under Secretary of State for India would corroborate that statement now?
§ SIR JOHN GORSTsaid that the statement of the Secretary of State ought to satisfy the hon. Member, and that no corroboration of it by the Under Secretary was required.
§ MR. M'LARENsaid, he had only asked the Question in consequence of an answer just given by the hon. Gentleman.
§ MR. JAMES STUARTgave Notice that he would raise the question on the Indian Budget.