§ 8. Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXasked the Secretary of State for India whether he has now arrived at a decision with regard to inviting the chairman 1920 of the Statutory Commission to be a member of the Round Table Conference?
§ 10. Sir CHARLES OMANasked the Secretary of State for India whether it is now definitely settled that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Spen Valley (Sir J. Simon) will not be invited to take part either in the Federal Subcommittee or in the Round Table Conference?
§ Mr. BENNThe full list of those invited to be members of the Federal Structure Committee has already been published. A similar announcement in regard to membership of the Conference will be made as soon as possible. In the meantime, I can only refer to the answer given by me in the Debate on the 9th July that the British membership will be composed of representatives of political parties.
§ Sir A. KNOXCan the right hon. Gentleman state the reason why the right hon. and learned Member for Spen Valley (Sir J. Simon) has not been appointed on the Conference? Is it because he has some special knowledge of the Indian situation?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is not a subject for a supplementary question.
§ 9. Sir C. OMANasked the Secretary of State for India whether he is satisfied that the Moslem nation in India is adequately represented as regards its main land-holding and agricultural interests both in the Federal Structure Sub-committee and the general Round Table Conference?
§ Mr. BENNI am satisfied that land-holding and agricultural interests are reasonably represented for the reasons given in my answer to a question by the hon. Member for Bromley on 13th November last, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member. I am not aware that as landholders and agriculturists the interests of the Moslems differ from those of other landholders and agriculturists.
§ Sir C. OMANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is considerable feeling among the Moslems on this subject?
§ Mr. BENNI am extremely anxious that the Moslems should be adequately 1921 represented on the Conference, and I think the list of names already published and those to be published will reassure the hon. Gentleman on that point.
§ 11. Sir C. OMANasked the Secretary of State for India whether he has made any arrangement for representation of the British services in India, active or retired, at the Round Table Conference?
§ Sir C. OMANCan the right hon. Gentleman inform us why those who have been for the last generation engaged in constitutional work in regard to the administration of India are entirely excluded from any power of taking part in the Conference?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI am afraid that we cannot ask that sort of question as a supplementary question.