§ 3. Mr. CHORLTONasked the Secretary of State for India if he will give an assurance that in any negotiations regarding the future government of Burma he will make certain that no other country obtains more favourable terms 1612 for their imports into that country than this country for all goods, including cotton textiles?
§ 4. Major PROCTERasked the Secretary of State for India whether, in view of the importance of the Burmese market for the Lancashire cotton industry, he will give an undertaking that Burma will not be subjected to the Indian fiscal policy, but will be left to make mutual preferential arrangements with Great Britain?
§ Sir S. HOAREBoth questions assume that Burma will be separated from India; but that is a matter which awaits the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee and the decision of Parliament. I anticipate that if the decision is for separation Parliament would find it necessary to arrange that it entails no sudden and serious dislocation of the close trade connection with India on which Burma's prosperity at present largely depends, but to do so with the least possible limitation of Burma's freedom to establish her trade relations with other countries upon a basis consistent with the interests of Burma herself rather than with those of India as at present.