§ 23. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Secretary of State for India under what 320 circumstances and by what authority was an official communiqué issued by the India Office, on Friday evening last, offering special facilities for the retirement of British civil servants and police in India on the inauguration of the new Constitution in India before Parliament had considered or approved any new Constitution for India or had decided as to the position of British officials in India in the event of any change in the Constitution of that country being made?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe communiqué to which my hon. Friend refers was issued under my authority after consultation with the Government of India. According to an official announcement made in 1925, the proportionate pension scheme which has been available for certain classes of officers since 1921 remains open for one year only after the field of service for which they have been recruited is transferred to responsible Indian control. Both the Government of India and I regard it as most important in the interests of the Services that they should he informed that they will continue to have the right of retirement on proportionate pension without limit of date in the event of further transfer of responsibility. There is nothing in the announcement made on Saturday last which affects the proposals for constitutional legislation or in any way prejudges the decisions of Parliament in regard to them. The Measure is an administrative one, and would have been out of place in the White Paper itself. But it had an important bearing on proposals relating to the Services in the White Paper, and it seemed desirable that the whole picture as regards the Services should be available at the same time.
§ Sir W. DAVISONAs the White Paper is specially referred to in the communiqué, may I ask whether it is not very unusual to anticipate the decision of Parliament in a matter of this kind; and the more so having regard to the terms of my right hon. Friend's Motion on the Paper to-day, which specially says that, before Parliament is asked to take A decision on the Government's Indian policy, it shall have a report from the Joint Select Committee?
§ Sir S. HOAREThere is no question whatever of prejudicing the decision of Parliament. This announcement will only 321 take effect if Parliament makes constitutional changes. Otherwise, no change will take place at all.
§ Sir W. DAVISONSurely my right hon. Friend must see that it was in anticipation of Parliament making a constitutional change that this communiqué was issued?