§ 39. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give an estimate as to the number of Indian coolies in Ceylon who are to be deprived of the proposed franchise by the modification His Majesty's Government have made in the Donoughmore Report; and why this modification was made?
§ Mr. LUNNI cannot give a closer estimate than that contained in the Report of the Special Commission, namely, that some 40 to 50 per cent. of the Indians in Ceylon are permanent re- 1039 sidents, and would therefore be entitled to the franchise, if otherwise qualified, under the proposals of His Majesty's Government. The reasons for the departure from the recommendations of the Special Commission are fully explained by the Governor in the correspondence recently presented to Parliament, and my Noble Friend has concurred in the Governor's views on this point.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs my hon. Friend aware that the entire coolie population are excluded from the franchise, although they were included in the Donoughmore Report, and can he say why a Labour Government have acted in this manner in face of a Report by a Conservative Commission?
§ Mr. LUNNI should hope that that is not so, and that the Labour Government have not taken a course which may even be implied to have such a serious effect.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODBut my hon. Friend is surely aware that this modification has excluded the most helpless part of the working population of Ceylon?
§ Mr. SKELTONHas the hon. Gentleman made himself familiar with the correspondence which has been referred to?