§ 45. Mr. KINGasked the Prime Minister whether an Order in Council can be issued by which the conditions of service in the India Office may be made those which are obligatory in other departments of the Civil Service?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)To make the Order in Council of January 10th, 1910, applicable in its entirety to the establishment of the India Office, the Secretary of State for India would have to initiate an Order in Council, as his establishment is not under Treasury control. I understand from him that he is not disposed to consider the matter until His Majesty's Government has decided the action to be taken on the Report of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service.
§ Sir J. D. REESIs not the India Office admittedly well managed? If the answer to that is in the affirmative what can be the object in altering it in search of uniformity?
§ Mr. KINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a great amount of suspicion owing to the fact that other Departments in the Civil Service have been the subject of inquiry, while the India Office has not?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI can only repeat that the Secretary of State is not disposed to consider the matter until the Government has decided on their action on the Report of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service.
§ Colonel YATEWould it not be much more advantageous for officials of the 126 India Office to be interchangeable with the Indian Civil Service?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI should not like to answer that off-hand.