§ MR. DANE (Fermanagh, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the remuneration of all officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers serving in the Army mainly consists of two parts—namely, (a) a payment in actual money, and (b) certain free allowances in kind, such as quarters, fuel and light, exemption from rates and taxes whilst occupying Government buildings, servants (according to rank) to all officers, and forage to mounted officers, and in the case of soldiers of all ranks, free rations, free uniforms and clothing, and free education for themselves and their families; whether, when regiments go to India, the 1075 above-described remuneration is also given to non-commissioned officers and men partly in cash and partly in kind, as at Home and in other parts of the Empire, but to officers in cash only, a certain addition according to rank being made under the name of "India pay and allowances," in lieu of the allowances which he receives in kind elsewhere; and are such "India pay and allowances" paid to officers in the now greatly depreciated rupee; and, if so, could immediate steps be taken to provide such officers more generally with quarters in kind, having regard to the fact that rents of houses at Indian stations have risen so greatly, especially at the large seaport towns of Kurrachee, Bombay, Calcutta, and Rangoon?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. G. RUSSELL,) North Beds.The answer to the first two questions is in the affirmative. Indian pay and allowances are paid in rupees. It has long been the practice to provide officers with quarters, as far as possible, in forts, Presidency towns, and other places where officers find a difficulty in renting houses. We cannot say how far it would be possible to extend the provision of public quarters for officers, but the subject is one which is under the constant consideration of the Government of India.