HC Deb 19 April 1928 vol 216 cc360-1
49. Mr. WELLOCK

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the total sum spent by the Government of India upon defence purposes in the following years, 1913, 1920, 1926, 1927, and 1928, respectively; and the percentage of the total budget represented by these figures in their respective years?

Earl WINTERTON

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The figures for the financial years most nearly corresponding to the periods named are as follows:

Office and the French Foreign Ministry on the subject of disarmament or the limitation of armaments by agreement and, in particular, those conversations relating to naval armaments; whether any agreement in principle was reached; and whether the subject of the construction of submarines in peace and their use in war was investigated and, if so, with what result?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Godfrey Locker-Lampson)

Informal discussions took place at Geneva last month to investigate the possibility of obtaining agreement on a classification of naval armaments which could be included in the draft convention now being prepared by the Preparatory Committee for the Disarmament Conference. No conclusions have yet been reached, and it is still too early to make any statement as to the probable outcome. The building and employment of submarines were not touched upon in these conversations.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Can the hon. Gentleman explain why the very important question of submarines was not discussed in view of the declaration of the American Secretary of State on this subject, and the willingness now of America to join with us in abolishing the submarine?

Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSON

I said that the matter was not discussed in the specific conversations to which the hon. and gallant Gentleman particularly refers. Our views are quite well known on the question of submarines and have already been made public.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Surely no agreement can be come to without an agreement on submarines; why was it not discussed?