§ MR. HICKS BEACHTo ask the Secretary of State for India whether Reports have yet been received from the officers appointed in Bengal and in Eastern Bengal and Assam to inquire into the subject of the education of children on tea gardens; and what steps have been taken in regard to this matter in Madras and the Central Provinces.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) As regards Bengal and Eastern Bengal and Assam, the Reports are being considered by the Government of India in consultation with the local governments. There are no tea estates in the Central Provinces. In Madras the area under tea is less than 8,000 acres, and I am not aware that any special measures are necessary to secure the education of children. Of course the ordinary primary schools of the country are open.