3. Sir Nairne Stewart Sandemanasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the terms of the report of the Hydari Committee convened in April last, to which reference was made in the resolution passed by the Conference of Indian Princes at Bombay on 12th June, will be made available to the House?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MuirheadThe report was addressed to the Rulers of States. Since the proposed terms of accession to the Federation to which it referred are confidential while under the consideration 4 of Rulers, His Majesty's Government have no reason to believe that the report will be published before the replies of individual Rulers have been received by the Crown Representative. Thereafter, as I informed my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Sir J. Wardlaw-Milne) on 8th June, His Majesty's Government contemplate the publication of a White Paper on the subject.
§ Sir N. Stewart-SandemanWill this report be published before the end of the Session?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MuirheadI do not know whether the hon. Member refers to the report of the Hydari Committee. As I have indicated in my answer, that is not a matter for us. It is a question for the Rulers. There is no reason to believe, in view of the fact that the terms of the offer are confidential, that the report will necessarily be published before the terms are published.
Sir N. Stewart SandemanWill the Under-Secretary approach the Rulers and ask whether they have any objection to it being published?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MuirheadI will consider that suggestion, but I cannot give the hon. Member any guarantee.