§ MR. SOUTTAR (Dumfriesshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether it will be open to the Committee now inquiring into the proposed measures regarding the Indian currency, under the clause of their instruction which directs them to consider the probable effects of any proposed changes upon the internal trade and taxation of the country, to investigate and take account of the effects on the internal trade and industrial resources of the people that have been and are 860 being caused by the annual obligatory remittances by which payments are made through the India Office here estimated at 16 millions sterling in the current Financial Statement; whether a statement can be placed before the Committee showing the amounts of the home charges drawn for yearly since 1873, and the sums added to the sterling debt of India in the same period; and whether the Committee will be free to suggest means of permanently relieving India of some substantial portion of these charges?
MR. H. ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)I beg, at the same time, to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the reference in the instructions to the Committee appointed to inquire into the position of the Indian Currency to the probable effect of any of the proposed changes upon the internal trade and taxation of the country will enable the Committee to investigate the present effects on Indian trade and industry which are induced by the annual obligatory remittances by which these payments are made through the India Office here, and which are estimated at 16 millions sterling in the current Financial Statement; will he lay before the Committee a statement showing (a) the amounts annually drawn for home charges since 1873, and (b) the sums added to the sterling debt of India during the same period; and whether the Committee will be empowered to suggest means of permanently relieving India from some substantial portion of these obligatory charges?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingI have already explained, in answer to a Question, that the Commitee are empowered to inquire into any matter which they may think relevant to the subject which has been referred to them; they have also been requested to confine their inquiry strictly to such matters as they may think relevant. It is for them to decide whether the subjects mentioned in the honourable Member's Question are relevant, and, if so, whether they will inquire into them. It is for them also to call for such statements as they require; any such request of theirs will be at once complied with, provided, of course, that the information asked for is available.