§ MR. W. M'LAREN (Cheshire, Crewe)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India, with regard to the fact that the Government of India licenses three shops for the retail sale of opium at the penal settlement of Port Blair, whether he will make inquiry as to the allegation that, although the sale of opium to convicts is prohibited, such sale, in fact, takes place to a large extent, and that a considerable proportion of the gratuity money given to convicts is, in fact, repaid to Government by the purchase of opium; and whether he will represent to the Government of India the advisability of at once closing the shops, and prohibiting the sale of opium altogether in a settlement of which the population is mainly composed of convicts.
SIR J. GORSTThe Secretary of State has no official information on the subject, but the hon. Member's question will be communicated to the Government of India in the usual course.