3. Mr. EDMUND HARVEYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India, whether any orders for sowing opium poppies have yet been given by the Government of India for the current year; and whether, in view of the surplus supply of opium already consigned to China and the recent petition of Indian opium merchants with regard to the disposal of this opium, the Government of India will issue no further instructions for the sowing of opium?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Montagu)The Secretary of State for India is in communication with the Government of India and the Foreign Office regarding the situation created in Shanghai through the failure of the provisional Chinese Government and the provincial authorities to observe the Opium Agreement of last year, both as regards the restriction of poppy cultivation in China and the admission of a limited quantity of certificated Indian opium. The Government of India have already announced that the licensed area in British India will be largely reduced this year, in pursuance of the policy of progressive reduction. The Secretary of State does not propose to instruct them in the sense suggested by the hon. Member.
Mr. EDMUND HARVEYAm I to understand that orders have been issued by the Secretary of State for the cultivation of opium for the forthcoming year?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe arrangements for this year have already been made.