§ 2. Mr. Dayasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, and to what extent, the Indian Army has been modernised and mechanised during the last four years; and whether the normal cost of standard military expenditure has steadily been reduced?
Lord StanleyI assume that the hon. Member refers specifically to the Indian Army. Although its role does not require that it should be mechanised on a European standard, it is the constant concern of the Government of India to ensure that all necessary measures of modernisation and mechanisation are taken in hand. I may instance in recent years its re-equipment with Vickers-Berthier Guns and oil field cookers and the placing of Second Line maintenance in the field on a mechanical instead of a pack basis. Although the capital cost involved in measures of re-equipment is considerable, the Commander-in-Chief has nevertheless succeeded during the past few years in keeping the total Defence Expenditure at a steady level. The hon. Member will find details in the Defence Budget Estimates of the Government of India.