HC Deb 11 July 1927 vol 208 cc1716-7
2. Mr. WARDLAW-MILNE

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will consider extending the concessions recommended in the Lee Commission Report to European officers of the Indian service of engineers recruited in India, seeing that the conditions under which they accepted service as statutory natives of India have entirely changed, placing them at a great disadvantage with officers of the same service recruited in England; and, seeing that these officers are European British subjects as defined in Indian law, that their habits of life and standard of living and educational expenses are the same as those of European officers otherwise recruited, and that the acceptance of the position of statutory natives of India was obtained from them when they were minors, with consequent doubt as to the legal validity attaching thereto?

Earl WINTERTON

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Reading (Mr. H. Williams) on 4th May, 1925. Whatever the facts as regards their declaration of Indian domicile it would not be reasonable that these officers should retain the benefits obtained by making it and acquire others by its revocation. I would remind the hon. Member that this class of officer benefited to the extent of Rs.75 per mensem by the absorption of technical pay in basic pay recommended by the Lee Commission.

Mr. WARDLAW-MILNE

While I have not before me the answer referred to, may I ask whether the Secretary of State has considered the position as between these officers and Indians in the same service, in view of the peculiar position now arising that European officers having an Indian domicile get worse conditions than Indians?

Earl WINTERTON

Yes. It is explained in an answer given to a question by the hon. Member for Reading (Mr. Herbert Williams) that These officers obtained their appointments by claiming to be of Indian domicile, and thereby are not entitled to the overseas pay given to officers of European domicile. It must be remembered that they obtained these appointments by claiming Indian domicile; unless they had claimed Indian domicile, and their claim had been accepted, they might never have been able to enter the service at all.

Mr. WARDLAW-MILNE

Am I correct in thinking that the declaration accepting Indian domicile was made in many cases when many of these applicants were minors?

Earl WINTERTON

However that may be they have obtained directly, advantages from it, which they could not have obtained from the service had they not made that declaration.