Sir HERBERT ROBERTSasked the Secretary of State for India whether he will state the amount of opium cultivated and prepared in India under Government monopoly for the use of British subjects in India and Burma in each of the last five years; whether he will state the number of shops licensed for the common sale of opium during the same period; and whether, in view of the prohibition of the exportation of the drug, he can give an assurance that, subject to any existing obligations affecting the Native States, the future supply of opium in India will be limited to medical purposes?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINpresented the following statement:—
— 1910–11. 1911–12. 1912–13. 1913–14. 1914–15. Total quantity of Opium issued for consumption in British India* in seers 500,856 499,972 503,542 503,086 482,513 Total number of shops licensed for retail sale of Opium in British India (excluding licences to sell for medical purposes) 7,602 7,470 7,076 6,951 6,814 * Excluding Aden.