§ 16. Mr. J. Hallasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on 13th November last calling upon the Government of India to terminate the Ottawa Agreement; and, in view of the repeated pledges of fiscal autonomy for India made both in Delhi and in the House of Commons since the passing of the Government of India Act, 1919, will he state the grounds upon which the Government of India, in disregard of the decision of the Assembly, has since decided to continue the agreement indefinitely?
§ Mr. ButlerI am sending to the hon. Member a copy of the resolution adopted by the Legislative Assembly on 30th March, 1936, to which he refers. He will see that the second part included a recommendation that the Government of India should investigate the possibility of entering into a new trade agreement with the United Kingdom. As preliminary steps towards the negotiation of such an agreement had been taken prior to 13th November last, on which date the Ottawa Agreement was due to terminate, it was agreed that pending the conclusion of the new Agreement, the 1932 Agreement should continue in force, subject to termination at three months' notice by either side.