§ 3. Major POLEasked the Secretary of State for India whether any steps have been taken to implement the resolution of the India Legislative Assembly, passed in March, 1921, recommending the restriction of direct communication between the Commander-in-Chief in India and the Chief of the Imperial General Staff to matters not involving the Government of India in financial or military obligations without the concurrence of the Legislative Assembly?
§ Mr. BENNThe terms of the resolution passed by the Assembly on this subject in 1921 differ in a material respect from the terms quoted by my hon. and gallant Friend, as he will see from the copy I am circulating. The principles underlying it were accepted by His Majesty's Government some years ago and have been acted on ever since.
Following is the resolution:This Assembly recommends to the Governor-General-in-Council that the Commander-in-Chief's right of correspondence with the Chief of the Imperial General Staff should he subject to the restriction that it does not commit the Government of India to any pecuniary responsibility or any line of military policy which has not already been the subject of decision by them; copies of all such correspondence at both ends being immediately furnished to the Government of India and the Secretary of State for India.