§ LORD HAILEYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask His Majesty's Government the question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government, whether any steps have been taken to provide for the maintenance of British graves in India and Pakistan.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COLONIAL AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL)My Lords, up till March 31, 1948, the maintenance of British graves in Government maintained cemeteries in India and Pakistan was provided for by the Governments of India and Pakistan. Since April 1 the maintenance of British graves has been carried out by the United Kingdom High Commissioners in those Dominions, except for war graves which continue to be the responsibility of the Imperial War Graves Commission. The present arrangements for maintenance are on a temporary basis, and measures to replace them are under active consideration, both in the United Kingdom and in India and Pakistan, and are the subject of consultation with the various Church and other authorities concerned. Meanwhile, the High Commissioners have been provided by His Majesty's Government with funds to meet the costs of current maintenance.
§ LORD HAILEYMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his reply. May I ask him one supplementary question on that subject?—because it is one that causes great anxiety to many people in this country. Apart from the large number of graves which are not in cemeteries at all, and for which it would be difficult to make any provision, there are large numbers of endowed graves in the cemeteries. I should be grateful if the noble Earl could give me some information as to what has happened to those endowments. Can he say whether they will be maintained either in the hands of the High Commissioners or handed over to the Dominion Governments?
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, I think the noble Lord will agree that that is a fresh question. I shall be glad to obtain the information for which he has asked, and I will let him have it as soon as it has been provided by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs.