§ 49. Sir HENRY CRAIKasked the Prime Minister whether, in order to secure that confidence in the impartiality of the Commission on the Indian Civil Service which is desirable on the part of that service, he is prepared to reconsider the nomination to that Commission of the hon. Member for Leicester?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs the hon. Gentleman will recognise, if he has studied the list of names, diverse opinions on many questions relating to Indian government and administration are likely to be held by different Members of the Royal Commission. I have no reason whatever to suppose that my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, any more than his colleagues on the inquiry, will fail in the requisite impartiality of judgment on the particular matters to be reported on by the Royal Commission. I do not propose, therefore, to make any fresh submission to His Majesty on the subject.
§ Sir H. CRAIKHas any other Member of the Commission since his appointment expressed himself in violent and virulent terms?
§ Mr. WEDGWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that those people who heard the passage in the speech to which the hon. Member refers—
§ Sir H. CRAIKOn a point of Order—
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe had better hear what the question is first.
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD—took it to be a perfectly amiable piece of banter on the hon. Gentleman (Sir J. D. Rees)?
§ Sir H. CRAIKI put down a question which had reference to the speech of the 2913 hon. Member (Mr. Ramsay Macdonald), and I was informed at the Table that any reference to a speech by an hon. Member was out of order. I have to ask if the hon. Member (Mr. Wedgwood) is in order in referring to a speech of an hon. Member to which I was not permitted to refer in my question.
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is obvious that the hon. Member's question did refer to that speech.
§ Sir H. CRAIKThe Clerks at the Table refused to receive a question with any reference to the speech, and the question now permitted was received in its present form.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member (Mr. Wedgwood) asked a supplemental question.
§ Sir J. D. REESDid the Prime Minister see the opinion telegraphed on Sunday from Bombay to the "Times"—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat requires notice.
§ Sir H. CRAIKI shall take the opportunity to refer to the matter on the Motion for the Adjournment.
§ Sir J. D. REESMay I ask whether my question was refused by the Clerk at the Table because it referred to the speech of the hon. Member for Leicester as an insult to the public service in India, and why the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme was allowed to refer to the speech in a supplementary question?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf the hon. Member had to listen to every supplementary question and to make up his mind at once, he would find that it is not always so easy a matter to say whether a supplementary question is in order as in the case of a question that is on the Paper. One has more time to consider the questions on the Paper. The host way to avoid any difficulty of that sort is not to ask supplementary questions.