§ 1. Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXasked the Secretary of State for India whether he will give the details by which he arrived at his estimate of the additional expenditure of £520,000 per annum involved in the establishment of federation in India, and also of the similar sum involved in the establishment of 11 autonomous Provinces?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Sir Samuel Hoare)I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to pages 49 to 51 of Volume III, Records of the Joint Select Committee, Session 1932–33.
4. Sir NAIRNE STEWART SANDEMANasked the Secretary of State for India whether he has been in recent communication with the Princes or any of them regarding the advisability of postponing the consideration of the Clauses of the Bill affecting them, and how the matter now stands?
§ Sir S. HOAREI have had no recent communication with the Princes on this subject. Soon after the Bill was published, the Princes requested that they might be given more time to study the details of the Bill. I had regretfully to point out that the exigencies of the Parliamentary time-table made it impossible 798 to delay the various stages of the Bill, but I assured them that there would be opportunities in the course of the discussions to consider any suggestions that they might wish to put forward.
Sir N. STEWART SANDEMANWill the Minister be willing to consider, for the Report stage, any suggested Amendments?
§ Sir S. HOARENo, Sir. We are dealing with every suggestion as we proceed with the Committee stage.
§ Sir WILLIAM DAVISONIs the Minister not aware that the Princes have expressed their great regret that this Bill should be rushed through the House of Commons before their criticisms had been received?