HC Deb 29 May 1906 vol 158 cc267-9
MR. ROWLANDS (Kent, Dartford)

To ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will consider the advisability of restoring the explanatory memorandum

various issues have been made, the amount of stock issued on each occasion, and the net amount of cash realised.

(Answered by Mr. Asquith.) Yes. The amount given in the Stock Exchange list is the total which has been offered to public subscription. The figure I quoted in the House represented the total issued up to March 31st last, and included £2,201,444 8s. 9d. stock issued to the National Debt Commissioners. The subjoined Table, which gives particulars of all issues to date, will make the matter clear, and in future, in order to enable the publishers of works of reference to keep their information up to date, I propose whenever stock is issued otherwise than by public subscription to notify the fact in the London Gazette:—

of the current Indian financial year as near as possible to the form of that in 1899–1900, substituting for the tables of revenue and expenditure pages 28–48, Appendix II., the Indian Finance Department's Appropriation Report, also that the amounts of the Home charges be shown in rupees-ten as well as in sterlign, so as to show the actual cost of the charges as borne by the Indian revenue.

(Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) I propose to retain, subject to such modifications in detail as may suggest themselves, the new form which was adopted in 1903. It appears to be an improvement on the form used in 1899–1900, as showing the chief facts with greater clearness and simplicity. The latest Appropriation Report is a document of nearly 200 pages. It has already been printed in the Gazette of India, and will in due course be issued, as usual, as a separate publication. I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by reprinting it specially as an Appendix to the Explanatory Memorandum. It was decided in 1900 to abandon the practice of showing in tons of rupees the charges in England which are, as a matter of fact, paid in sterling; and I see no advantage in reversing this decision.