§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLasked the Under-Secretary for India (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, while the number of judicial sentences for whipping throughout the whole of India has been reduced, under the operation of the new Whipping Act, from 18,937 in 1908 to 7,500 in 1911, the number of such sentences in the province of Burma still remains high, being 2,498 in 1908 and 2,158 in 1911; and whether he is aware of any reason why the reduction of whipping sentences, which has been so marked in India generally, has not also been manifested in Burma; and (2) whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the number of judicial sentences for whipping is always higher in the united provinces of Agra and Oudh than in any other province of India, and that in 1911 the percentage of whipping sentences in cases in which whipping might have been awarded was 24.2 in the united provinces against 5.5 in the adjoining province of Bengal; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the circumstances which lead to this prevalence of whipping in the united provinces?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI will make inquiries on the points raised by the hon. Member in these questions.