§ LORD AMPTHILL rose to ask the Secretary of State for India whether it is a fact that a new post has been created at the India Office in connection with the supervision of Indian students in this country, to which a former Member of Parliament has been appointed, and if so, what are the 576 duties attached to the post and the conditions of the appointment.
§ The noble Lord said: The noble Marquess the Leader of the House asked me to postpone this Question, not on the ground that he would not be in the House this evening, but on other grounds. I have often postponed Questions and Motions out of deference to the noble Marquess, but I really did not think it was necessary to do so to-day because it is merely a question as to fact. I ask whether this new post has been created or not. If it has not been created the answer is No; if it has been created the answer is Yes. Surely it does not want some weeks of delay to give me that answer, and surely if the post has been created some decision has been come to as to the object of the post, and there can be no difficulty in telling me why the post has been created. I have something to do semi-officially with this question of Indian students, and I have no official information about this post, and I have been asked by those with whom I have to work what it is? It is to obtain this information that I ask this Question.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPMy Lords, I am glad to be able to give the noble Lord the information for which he asks. As stated in the Question, it is the fact that the Secretary of State in Council has created a new appointment on the establishment of the India Office with the designation of Secretary for Indian Students. It is intended that the appointment should be permanent and pensionable, and the salary attached to it is£1,000 a year. Mr. C. E. Mallet has been selected to be the first holder of the post. The Secretary for Indian Students will be responsible for official correspondence with Advisory Committees in India, and with Universities and professional authorities in the United Kingdom. Generally, he will undertake such work for the benefit of Indian Students in this country as the Secretary of State may determine. The London Agency at 21, Cromwell-road, will remain under the direct charge of Mr. T. W. Arnold, who will henceforth be styled the Educational Adviser to Indian Students in London.
§ VISCOUNT MIDLETONHas Mr. Mallet any personal acquaintance with India, or had any service there? We know that a number of gentlemen return from India in the prime of life whose services have been 577 of great value to the India Office. One would like to be assured that this gentleman has some knowledge of India. Otherwise one would be afraid that a more competent man for this particular work in connection with students might have been found.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPFrom the information before me I cannot say whether Mr. Mallet has special knowledge of Indian matters; but no one, knowing him as I do, can fail to know that he is admirably qualified to fill such a post as this quite apart from any special knowledge he may have of India.