§ SIR H. COTTON (Nottingham, E.)To ask the Under-Secretary of State for India if he can state what amount of the Indian rupee debt standing on 31st March last at Rs.1,32,82,94,955 = £88,552,997 is held by natives of India; and what proportion of this rupee debt held by Indians consists of investments made by the Court of Wards, which is a department of Government, and of deposits which are made by Indian officials as security for their good behaviour.
(Answered by Mr. Buchanan.) I have not the figure of holdings by natives of 1841 India on 31st March, 1908. But the division of the rupee debt on 31st December, 1906, was as follows—
| £ | |
| Europeans | 48,000,000 |
| Natives of India | 39,000,000 |
| Total | 87,000,000 |
§ I am unable to say what portion of the £39,000,000 held by Indians represents the investment of money held by the Court of Wards or of deposits lodged by officials.