§ Mr. RAMSAY MacDONALD (by Private Notice)asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he has any announcement to make in regard to the taking of evidence by the Simon Commission?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe House will appreciate that the Statutory Commission 214 is free, within the terms of the Royal Warrant, to lay down its own procedure. The question of taking evidence in camera having been raised by the Committee elected by the Punjab Legislative Council, the Commission considered it and decided to draw no distinction between it? own Members and Members of the Indian Committees in the matter of the examination of witnesses and access to documents, so that the Commission will treat each Indian Committee, within whose scope the matter in question falls, on equal terms with itself. It considers that the reservation made in the Chairman's letter to the Viceroy of 6th February, which in any event would have been put into effect very rarely if at all, can be adequately secured by the power which rests with the Chairman to protect any witness and by his discretionary power to exclude the Press from the joint sittings when necessary. My Noble Friend, who was consulted, concurred in this decision.
§ Mr. THURTLEWill the Noble Lord explain why, in view of the fact that we have been told the India Office has no control over the Simon Commission, the announcement of this change of policy has been made through the India Office and not by way of an announcement from the Commission itself?
§ Earl WINTERTONIt is merely a matter of convenience that the India Office has acted as the channel of information in regard to an answer to a, question. Having been consulted by the the Leader of the Opposition, I wanted, as a matter of courtesy and public duty, to answer the question and give information to the House on behalf of the Commission.