§ MR. R. ASCROFT (Oldham)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, if he is in a position to state what effect has been given to the promise made by him, that early attention should be given to the development of India by an extension of the railways.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON, Middlesex, Ealing)Since the date of the speech referred to by my hon. Friend considerable progress has been made in 147 extending and accelerating schemes of railway construction in India, and, among other measures, provision has been made for an expenditure during the three years ending March 1899, of 27 crores of rupees on railway extension—a sum much in excess of the expenditure of the last three years. In addition to this, favourable terms have been offered to the public for the further extension of Indian railways, by private agency, by the con struction of branch lines forming feeders to the existing main systems. Any capital expenditure in connection with such branch lines will be outside the limit of 27 crores before-mentioned. Under both these combined heads of expenditure works of construction are in progress, and a sum of about 12½ crores of rupees will have been expended on the extension of the existing Indian railway system during the present financial year.