INDIAN STATES. (Hansard, 26 November 1928)

§ 1. Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is now able to state whether the evidence given before the Indian States inquiry will be laid before Parliament; and whether the Report will be published?

§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Earl Winterton)
No, Sir. My Noble Friend cannot pledge himself in regard to publication before he has seen either the Report or the evidence.

§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY
Surely the Noble Lord has not overlooked the responsibility of this House for such matters? Is it suggested that we should not have the full information that is gathered by this important Committee?

§ Earl WINTERTON
No. The object of the Committee or inquiry is to advise my Noble Friend on such matters, and it is impossible, until the Report has been given to my Noble Friend, to answer the question put by the hon. and gallant Gentleman, who will appreciate that, for example, there might be evidence given by some of their Highnesses that they themselves may ask should not be made public.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
But surely it is not to be supposed that the Report itself shall not be published, a Report affecting 80,000,000 people?

§ Earl WINTERTON
That is exactly what I said. My Noble Friend cannot pledge himself regarding publication before he has seen the Report.

§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY
But does not the Noble Lord think it is unfair to the parties to this inquiry not to publish the evidence? Is he not aware that charges are made against these rulers?

§ Earl WINTERTON
If the hon. and gallant Gentleman is not satisfied, when the Report is received by my Noble Friend, of which notice will be given, with the decision then taken, he can address a question to me on that occasion.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
I am not concerned so much with the evidence, but is it not reasonable that the Report itself shall be published?

§ Earl WINTERTON
No. There have been a very large number of Committees' Reports to various authorities and to Ministers representing both Departments in this country and Departments overseas, where the Report and the evidence have both alike not been published.

§ 6. Mr. WELLOCK
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if it is the intention of His Majesty's Government or the Government of India to grant the same facilities to the subjects in the Indian States as to their princes to express their views on the future relations of the Indian States with British India?

§ Earl WINTERTON
The question of the relations between British India and the Indian States is primarily a constitutional question and can only be discussed between the duly constituted Governments concerned. But I have no doubt that any States subjects who wish to express views on this matter will find means to make them known.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
Seeing that this Commission's Report affects far more than the British Government, is there not some means whereby the Commission should hear the views of the people who live in these States?

§ Earl WINTERTON
The right hon. and gallant Gentleman is mistaken. In the first place, this is not a Commission—if it were a Commission, it would be in an entirely different position—but a Committee. I have already said, in reply to a question asked by an hon. Member opposite the other day, that the question of the procedure of the Committee is one for the Committee itself to consider, and the Committee has already decided not to hear the evidence of the representatives, or the so-called representatives, of the Indian States.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
Cannot the Government make representations to this Committee that the people themselves are those most interested in the Report of this Committee?

§ Earl WINTERTON
It is too long a question to go into in reply to a supplementary question, but I cannot accept the premise of the right hon. and gallant Gentleman that these people have any right to make their case known to this Committee. In any 4 case, the procedure, as the right hon. and gallant Gentleman, from his own administrative experience, must be well aware, is always a matter for the Chairman of the Committee.

§ Mr. WELLOCK
Have not these 70,000,000 people a right to make their position known?

§ Earl WINTERTON
They can make their position known by writing to the newspapers, by holding public meetings, and in various other ways. That is a question quite distinct from whether or not they should be able to give evidence before this Committee.

§ 9. Mr. THURTLE
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he is in a position to state when he expects to receive the Report of the Butler Commission dealing with the position of the India States?

§ Earl WINTERTON
No, Sir; I am not at present in a position to give any date.