HC Deb 20 June 1921 vol 143 cc925-6W
Mr. HOLMES

asked the Secretary of State for India what amount of the loan of £7,500,000 sterling raised in this country for the Indian Government to be spent in Great Britain on railway material has yet been spent?

Mr. MONTAGU

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. S. Roberts) on 9th June, in which I stated that about £900,000 had been spent on Indian railway capital account in this country in May last. As funds used for railway capital expenditure are derived from various sources, it is not at this moment possible to earmark particular items as chargeable against particular receipts, though, in view of the statement in the prospectus of the recent loan, I have arranged for the preparation of an account of expenditure on railway material in this country for Indian railway purposes. It may interest the hon. Member to know that the total expenditure on Indian railway capital account to be financed by the India Office in 1921–22 is estimated at about £14,000,000.