§ 43 and 44. Mr. HAMMERSLEYasked the Under Secretary of State for India (1) whether he is aware that the Government of India have stated that they considered it essential to publish their decision on the more important recommendations of the India (Textile) Tariff Board when the recommendations were announced; and, as the recommendations 379 have now been made public, if he is in a position to announce the decision of the Government of India on the proposals;
(2) whether he can make any statement as to the action proposed to be taken by the Government of India on the Report of the Indian (Textile) Tariff Board, which recommends that the duty on cotton goods up to 40's counts from all sources shall be raised from 11 per cent. to 15 per cent.?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Earl Winterton)I will reply to these questions together. The answer to the first part of question No. 43 is in the affirmative. As regards the latter part of that question, there is no truth whatever in the statement which appeared in the Press last week that the Report of the Tariff Board has been published in India. That being the case, it is obviously not possible for me to make any statement either as to the contents of the Report or as to the action that will be taken on it. I can, however, say this that a decision may be expected shortly.
§ Mr. HAMMERSLEYAre we to assume that the recommendations of this Committee, if and when they are published, will necessarily be accepted by the Government of India?
§ Earl WINTERTONI am not prepared to make any further statement than that I have already made in the House, that the decision of the Government of India will in all probability be announced simultaneously with the publication of the Report.