§ 21. Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD - BURYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he can give the number of British and Indian casualties since 1st January, 1924, at Razmak, in Waziri-stan; whether he is aware that the troops only receive now ordinary pay and peace 723 rations and ration allowance, though to all intents on active service; whether he is aware that the tents are unserviceable and leaky, and that numerous complaints have been received; and will he restore the active service pay which has formerly been customary to those quartered on the North-West Frontier?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Richards)The casualties in the force at Razmak for the period from 1st January to the 31st August, 1924, were as follow:
| (1) | Indian Army: | |
| Killed in action and died of wounds | 6 | |
| Wounded | 27 | |
| (2) | British Army: | |
| Killed in action and died of wounds | 2 |
§ It is the case that since 1st April of this year field service concessions have been withdrawn from the troops serving at Razmak. As I informed the hon. and gallant Member for Melton (Sir C. Yate) yesterday, however, an enquiry has been addressed to the Government of India whether any of these concessions should be restored, and my Noble Friend will consider the matter on receipt of their reply. I have no information to lead me to suppose that the tents are unserviceable or that numerous complaints have been received. I may perhaps inform the hon. and gallant Member that at Razmak a large proportion of the troops are now quartered in comfortable stone-built barracks.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there is no bazaar whatever for the troops there, that the hospital accommodation is totally inadequate, and, in view of all these casualties, can he not see that the troops are put back under active service conditions approximating to the ordinary cantonment lines?
§ Mr. RICHARDSI have just said that my information is otherwise. We have made representations to the Government of India.