§ 10. Sir A. KNOXasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what has been the increased cost to public funds of the 825 working of the Donoughmore Constitution in Ceylon since and including the first General Election of May, 1931?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe only additional expenditure definitely attributable to the new constitution in Ceylon is the expenditure on the salaries and allowances of Ministers and members of the State Council, estimated in the current year at £25,830. The information at my disposal does not disclose the actual cost of the 1931 General Election, but it will be appreciated that an election would in any case have been necessary under the old constitution. The total expenditure of the Island Government has been reduced since the coming into operation of the new constitution to £7,265,860 according to the current estimates, as compared with actual expenditure of £7,522,205 in 1930–31.