HC Deb 07 May 1934 vol 289 cc706-8
3. Major General Sir ALFRED KNOX

asked the Secretary of State for India whether the retrocession of the civil and military station of Bangalore will involve the building of a new military station at Agram; and what the cost of this will be?

Sir S. HOARE

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Newbury (Brigadier-General Brown) on 16th April.

Sir A. KNOX

Is it not true that negotiations are in progress for the retrocession of the military station?

Sir S. HOARE

If my hon. and gallant Friend will refer to the answer to which I have alluded, he will see that I gave my hon. and gallant Friend an answer on that specific point.

Sir A. KNOX

Will the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration the fact that I looked at that reply, and that I did not see any answer to my question in it?

Sir S. HOARE

I should have thought that the answer was a fairly simple one. There is no intention at all of retroceding the military encampment.

Captain FULLER

Is there any intention of building a new station at Agram?

Sir S. HOARE

Obviously, there is no question of building a new station when we do not intend to move from the existing one.

Duchess of ATHOLL

Did not my right hon. Friend inform the House on 22nd November that negotiations were in progress with Mysore for the retrocession of the station?

Sir S. HOARE

I cannot do more than refer my Noble Friend to the answers I have given on this subject. Certainly, I gave that answer then, but I gave the answer to the hon. and gallant Gentleman the Member for Newbury a few weeks ago.

4. Sir A. KNOX

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Bangalore Trades Association has submitted to the Resident a memorandum stating that the entire population of the civil and military station of Bangalore protests against the proposed retrocession of the station to the Mysore Government; and whether he will reconsider a policy which will place thousands of Europeans and Anglo-Indians against their will under the rule of an Indian State?

Sir S. HOARE

A copy of a memorandum by the Bangalore Trades Association has been sent to me. I can, however, add nothing to the replies given to the questions of my Noble Friend the Member for Kinross (Duchess of Atholl) on 19th March and to previous questions.

Sir A. KNOX

If there are no negotiations in progress for the retrocession of the military station, why should the Bangalore Trades Association send in this special memorandum?

Sir S. HOARE

There are negotiations going on about the civil station; there are no negotiations going on about the military station.

Sir A. KNOX

Will the right hon. Gentleman definitely say that the military station is not in any case to be retroceded?

Sir S. HOARE

I have already said it twice, and I will say it three times.