§ 1. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Secretary of State for India is aware that since June, 1927, officials in India have been deprived of the privilege of sending direct to him copies of petitions addressed to him of which the originals are transmitted through the regular official channel; and whether this change in procedure was made with the approval of the Secretary of State?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Earl Winterton)I must refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given to him on 30th July last, to which I have nothing to add.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs my Noble Friend aware that two petitions on a subject on which the India Office and the Government of India were in correspondence were sent in March of last year and were only forwarded to the India Office in July and that the claims of the petitioners were thereby prejudiced; and would it not be better to revert to the old practice whereby a copy of the petition had to be forwarded, through the Government of India, direct to the India Office?
§ Earl WINTERTONNo, Sir. There was no such privilege as my hon. and gallant Friend seems to assume to have existed in the past, and it would have been very strange if there had been, because, so far as I know, it is contrary to the practice in all the military and Civil Services of the Crown. My hon. and gallant Friend knows, from his own service in the Army, that no officer in 2584 the Army is allowed to send a petition direct to the Secretary of State for War, but that it has to be sent through the official channels. If there has been delay through the official channels, and my hon. and gallant Friend will send me specific cases, I will inquire into them.