§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether full particulars of the proposed expenditure of £1,000,000 on the Royal Visit to India have been submitted to the Government of India?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Montagu)Detailed Estimates of the expenditure on the Royal Visit are to be submitted by the Government of India to the Secretary of State. They have not yet reached him; and he is unable to say whether the Government of India has yet received them from the officers employed in their preparation.
§ Mr. MORRELLAre we to understand that this expenditure of £1,000,000 has not yet been sanctioned by the Home Government?
§ Mr. MONTAGUExpenditure approximately amounting to £1,000,000 (£940,000) was budgetted for by the Government of India in the annual Budget statement, but the Estimates for which that provision was made has not yet been sanctioned.
§ Mr. MORRELLHave the Home Government sanctioned that expenditure without seeing any particulars for which the expenditure is required?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe Home Government have sanctioned the provision for the expenditure of £940,000 by the Government of India, but that does not mean that that amount will be expended.
§ Mr. MORRELLHas the Home Government sanctioned an expenditure of £940,000 without seeing any particulars of what it is required for?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe Home Government has not yet sanctioned the expenditure at all. We have sanctioned the provision in this year's financial arrangement of £940,000.
An HON. MEMBERIs there any reason why the expenditure on the Coronation function in India should be larger than in this country?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe expenditure in each country, I presume, will be sufficient to defray the cost of the ceremony which takes place.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked how much of the Estimate of £1,000,000 for the proposed Royal visit to India relates to the proposed Durbar at Delhi; whether the total cost of this Durbar will exceed that of the Durbar of 1903; and, if so, in what respects?
§ Mr. MONTAGUAs I stated in reply to the hon. Member for Leicester on the 14th instant, I am unable, pending the receipt of detailed information which is awaited from India, to give an estimate of the cost of the Durbar at Delhi, which will be the chief incident of the Royal visit. The review will be on a large scale, involving increased accommodation for the troops while they are at Delhi, and prices and wages have risen in India in the last eight years. For these and other reasons there is no doubt that the Durbar of 1911 will cost more than that of 1903.
§ Mr. MORRELLIs my hon. Friend aware that the Durbar of 1903 only cost £250,000?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThose were the figures I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEI wish to ask whether the estimated expenditure upon the Durbar was due to any suggestions from the India Office at home?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe rough estimate of expenditure which was sent from India to the India Office in connection with the Budget arrangements for this year came from India.
§ Mr. PAGE CROFTHas the King ever been to India before to attend a Durbar?