§ SIR SEYMOUR KING (Hull, Central)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India, with reference to the reported statement of the Viceroy of India to a deputation of the Currency Association on 3rd February, that—
It was the open secret that the Government of India, regarded the present state of things with the greatest concern, and that they had their own ideas as to the steps that ought to he taken;and his further statement that the Indian Government had not heard the result of the inquiry of Lord Herschell's Committee, and that— 906Therefore, until further information was received the (currency) question must remain in suspense,whether he will state to the House the cause of the delay in the Report of the Currency Committee; and whether, in view of these statements, the Secretary of State will press for the submission of a Report by the Committee, or will without further delay lay the evidence token by the Committee before both Houses of Parliament?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLThe Committee is fully sensible of the importance of reporting with as little delay its possible, and the Report has not been presented already solely on account of the extremely complicated nature of the subject, and the very serious issues which are involved. The evidence cannot he laid before Parliament, consistently with the public interests, until the decision arrived at on the Report has been announced.