§ 4. Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXasked the Secretary of State for India the total number of divisions that have taken place in the Central Assembly since the recent elections; and on how many occasions the Government have been defeated?
§ Mr. BUTLERAccording to my present information the Government of India have been defeated 13 times in the Legislative Assembly since the recent elections. I have no information of the total number of divisions that have taken place during that period.
§ Sir A. KNOXIn view of that reply, in view also of the fact that in the present Central Assembly there are 40 nominated members out of a total of 145 and that, under the new Constitution, out of 375 there will not be one nominated member, are not the figures rather ominous?
§ Mr. BUTLERSuch generalisations would be quite out of place. I think the present practice shows the result of irresponsible central government.