§ £200,000 for personnel, materials, works, buildings, and repairs at home and abroad.
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONasked for information with respect to the appropriation in aid of the Navy made by the Government of India. As he understood, a substantial sum out of this Vote was wanted to make good the deficiency in that appropriation. There was a dispute between the Admiralty and the India Office on the subject.
§ MR. ROBERTSONsaid that there had been a long standing dispute between the Admiralty and the Government of India as to the contribution that India ought to make. The Admiralty, in their transactions with the Government of India, were annually £57,000 short. The dispute was referred to arbitration, the Prime Minister being the arbitrator. His decision was in general terms, and the effect of it could not at present be stated in money. It was now the subject of communication between India and the Admiralty. He could not say whether the whole of this sum of £57,000 would be paid by India in the future, but certainly a larger amount than had hitherto been paid would be paid.
§ MR. R. W. HANBURY (Preston)asked what was the point referred to the arbitrator.
§ MR. ROBERTSONexplained that the arbitrator was asked to determine what was meant by the expression "Vessels for Indian Purposes." He had put an interpretation upon the words "Indian Purposes," but the application of the interpretation was still the subject of 1349 correspondence between the Admiralty and the Government of India.
Vote agreed to; and Progress Reported.