§ SIR W. WEDDERBURNI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will agree to the Motion for a Return as to Indian Sugar, which stands on the Paper this day?
§ [The following was the Motion referred to—
§ East India (Sugar Importation and Cultivation),—Address for Return showing for each of the years 1882-3 to 1898-9, inclusive: (1) The quantity and the value of imports of sugar from India from Germany, Austria, and Mauritius; (2) the acreage of sugar cane cultivation in the several Provinces of India; (3) the quantity of refined Indian sugar exported from Bengal and the North West Provinces to other Provinces in India and to the Native States; (4) the quantity of Indian Sugar, refined and unrefined, exported to Ceylon, to the United Kingdom, and to other countries; and (5) the number of persons engaged in the sugar industry in India, distinguishing (a) those engaged in refining, and (b) those engaged in producing unrefined sugar.]
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIAI shall be able to furnish the statistics asked under headings 1 to 4 with some approach to completeness, but I cannot furnish the statistics asked under heading 5 of the Return for which the honourable Member desires to move.