HC Deb 13 November 1933 vol 281 cc537-8
8. Mr. T. SMITH

asked the Secretary of State for India whether, in view of the fact that the Report of the Indian Gaols Committee was accepted by the Government of India, which intimated in March, 1921, its decision to abandon the Andaman Islands as a penal settlement., he can explain what steps have been taken to carry out that decision; and how many of the six or seven thousand prisoners still in the Andamans can be classed under the heading of political prisoners?

Sir S. HOARE

Since 1921 the convict population in the Andamans has been reduced from 11,500 to 6,500. Owing mainly to lack of gaol accommodation in India itself, it has not been found practicable to make any more speedy

Imports into India of Hosiery (including Stockings and Socks, Underwear and other sorts)* from Japan, from January, 1930.
Value—Rupees.
— 1930. 1931. 1932. 1933.
January … … … 10,19,056 3,16,378 2,17,672 4,02,878
February … … … 11,60,922 3,45,969 1,73,415 3,61,105
March … … … 11,05,614 3,93,505 2,98,537 4,57,618
April … … … 9,90,044 2,93,241 3,84,093 5,01,360
May … … … 10,15,942 2,42,991 4,32,940 6,24,800
June … … … 8.98,216 2,71,474 5.63,616 5,66,840
July … … … 5,21,914 2,73,770 6,53,058 5,83,063
August … … … 6.41,670 3,98,863 7,30,629 9,72,797
September … … … 5,63,448 5,11,235 7,19,858
October … … … 9,93,628 8,17,135 6,19,667
November … … … 6,21,264 4,35,601 4,48,774
December … … … 9,49,359 2,24,740 3,38,406
Total for year. Total for eight months.
98,81,077 45,24,902 55,80,665 44,70,461
* Separate figures for each of these classes of hosiery are not at present available for any later period than the year ending March, 1932.

reduction, but vigorous steps have been taken to improve the conditions of life in the settlement, particularly from a health point of view, and the malaria swamps have been cleared at a cost of 23 lakhs of rupees. The settlement is gradually being transformed into a free colony, and transportation is now normally on a voluntary basis. There is no separate classification of political prisoners under Indian rules, and I cannot therefore answer the last part of the question, but I have already told the House that no civil disobedience prisoners or detenus have been sent to the Andamans.