§ COLONEL MILWARD (Stratford-upon-Avon)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he can give the House any information as to the progress of the famine in India, and as to the necessity of further assistance to the Lord Mayor's Fund.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingAccording to the latest telegram there were 5,579,000 persons on the relief works in India. This figure is slightly lower than that of the previous week, but the reduction must not be taken as indicating any general improvement in the state of affairs, as it is probably owing to the breaking up of some of the relief camps which have been visited by cholera. In Madras and Mysore, however, the recent rain has caused a material improvement of the situation in those localities. Elsewhere the position is unaltered. As regards the Mansion House and other similar funds, in 1897 more than half the money contributed by charity was spent in making advances to the cultivators to enable them to resume their livelihood, and the funds so raised were largely in excess of the response to the similar appeal made during the present year. The Government of India, as I explained in a reply to a question yesterday, are making provision to supplement this branch of relief by making large advances themselves to the cultivators.