§ Mr. ANNAN BRYCEasked the Under-Secretary for India what steps have been taken to give effect to the following recommendations of the Report, dated 5th March, 1908, of the Committee on Indian Railway Finance and Administration, that 448 Government should provide every year £12,500,000 for the expenditure of the railways; that, in addition to this sum, further funds should be provided through the agency of the companies; and that Government should not interfere in matters of detail, but leave to the companies a wide discretion as regards detail and the responsibility for efficient working; and whether any, and, if so, which, of the specific recommendations of the Committee's Report has been carried out?
The HON. MEMBERfurther asked (1) whether, in the years 1908–9 and 1909–10, the amount allotted for railway expenditure was £10,000,000 only, instead of £12,500,000 as recommended by the Committee on Indian Railway Finance and Administration; and (2) whether he will explain why recent orders of the Government Railway Department, such as Resolutions No. 431 R.A. of 4th June, 1909, and No. 566 R.A. of 3rd September, 1909, were issued, in view of the recommendations of the Committee on Indian Railway Finance and Administration that Government should not interfere in matters of detail, but leave to the companies a wide discretion as regards detail and the responsibility for efficient working?
The MASTER of ELIBANKI will answer my hon. Friend's three questions together. The Committee on Railway Administration and Finance recommended in March, 1908, a capital outlay of £12,500,000 in normal years. The financial arrangements for 1908–9 had been made when this recommendation was submitted, so that the first year in which it would have been possible to give effect to it was 1909–10; but the financial position at the beginning of that year was not normal, and did not justify a large increase of expenditure. The programme of capital outlay was, therefore, not raised above the level of £10,000,000, at which it has stood for some years. As regards the raising of money through railway companies, various schemes to facilitate this in particular cases have been considered by the Secretary of State. One of them has been embodied in a contract between the Secretary of State and the Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway Company, which enabled the company to raise £600,000 in the present year. It is hoped that contracts will in due course be made enabling other companies to raise capital; but, as the House will understand, it is not possible to give detailed information while negotiations are pending.
449 The recommendation of the Committee regarding the administrative action of the Railway Board has, with the Committee's other recommendations, been brought to the notice of the Government of India; and in one important respect, namely, the abolition of the consulting engineers, through whom a considerable amount of detailed control was formerly exercised, action has been taken in accordance with the spirit of the Committee's Report. The Secretary of State is in correspondence with the Government of India regarding the Resolutions referred to in the third question, but is not yet in a position to make a statement.
§ Mr. ANNAN BRYCEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the abolition of the consulting engineer took place before the Committee Report, and that it cannot be said that the doing of that was in any way the result of the Committee Report?
The MASTER of ELIBANKIn regard to the abolition of the consulting engineer, that also abolishes a large amount of the details of which the hon. Member complains.