§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)To ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will give the details of the expenditure of £7,000, stated to have been incurred from the revenues of India, in connection with the reception held at the India Office on 4th July.
(Answered by Secretary Lord George Hamilton.) I have not all the details of the expenditure complete, but, as the contracts made were few, there will be no difficulty in giving the information the hon. Member asks for.
§ MR. LABOUCHERETo ask the Secretary of State for India whether, seeing that the auditor of the accounts of the Secretary of State in Council is empowered by Statute to examine and audit the accounts, he is empowered to examine for this purpose officers and servants of the India Office establishment, and to summon before him any such officer and servant, and that he is required to report on such accounts, and to note any case in which money arising out of the revenues of India has been appropriated to other purposes than those to which they are applicable under Statute; will he state when the auditor's remarks upon the expenditure connected with the India Office reception of 4th July will be laid before Parliament.
(Answered by Secretary Lord George Hamilton.) The Report of the auditor on the accounts for the year 1902–3, which will include the expenditure connected with the State Ceremonial of the 4th of July, 1902, will be laid before Parliament, in accordance with the provisions of the 52nd and 53rd sections of the Act for the Better Government of India (21 and 22 Vic., c. 106), within the first fourteen days during which Parliament may be sitting after the 1st day of May, 1904.