§ SIR D. MACFARLANE (Argyll)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, if he can explain the meaning of the explanation given on Page 3 of the Return of the Military Expenditure of the Government of India in India and England from 1875 to 1892–3; the item referred to is the increase of £929,822 in Home pensions, which is stated to be mainly due to the growth of the Colonels' allowances, derived from a much larger number of officers than that now existing; and, if the number of officers was at one time larger than that now existing, how the amount has been increased instead of diminished?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. H. H. FOWLER,) Wolverhampton, E.As each officer successively becomes entitled by length of service to Colonel's allowances the Home pensions are to that extent increased; and the number of those who are now becoming entitled to such allowances depends upon the number of officers who were upon the establishment many years ago. The number of officers now upon the Effective List is less than half that of officers in the Indian Army in 1857.