§ VISCOUNT SIMONMy Lords, I ask leave to put a question of which I have given private notice to the noble Lord, the Secretary of State for India. The question is, whether he has any further statement: to make regarding the proposed Parliamentary delegation to India.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA AND BURMA (LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCE)My Lords, His Majesty's Government have now considered further the character of the Parliamentary delegation to which I referred in my statement on December 4 They had originally felt that it would be appropriate for this delegation to go under the auspices of the Empire Parliamentary Association, which does most valuable work in bringing into contact Parliamentary representatives of different parts of the Commonwealth. Having regard to the views expressed in another place on the use of this method in this particular case, and in view of the fact that the Indian branches of the Association are in partial suspense during the Dissolution of the Legislatures, the Government have now decided to make different arrangements. The delegation will contain representatives from this House whom, if it is agreeable to your Lordships, the noble and learned Lord Chancellor has kindly agreed to nominate. The members from another place will be chosen by Mr. Speaker.
The question of the status and functions of this delegation was also raised in another place. I desire to make it clear that the members will go out as representatives of Parliament to make personal contacts, to ascertain individual views and to convey to leading Indians the broad 654 general attitude of the chief political parties in this country. The delegation will not be in any sense charged with making an official inquiry, nor will they be requested to make any formal report.
§ VISCOUNT SIMONMy Lords, may I be permitted to thank the Secretary of State for his statement? Your Lordships will be grateful that this important statement has been made here. It will help to clear away possible misunderstandings in certain quarters. I warmly confirm Lord Pethick.-Lawrence's statement that the "Empire Parliamentary Association does most valuable work in bringing into contact Parliamentary representatives of different parts of the Commonwealth." I am very glad he has made that statement, which many of us will heartily support. I have myself been closely associated with parts of its work for many years. It is of course a non-official body and any delegation from it would not be made by the Government or by Resolution of Parliament.
As I understand it, the new arrangement which the Government intend to make about the delegation to visit India is somewhat in line with those for the delegation to China in 1942 and the delegation to Russia in 1945. In both cases the members were chosen by Mr. Speaker and by the then Lord Chancellor. The object is to make personal contacts and to convey to leading Indians the deep interest which we feel in Indian progress, without in any way constituting an official inquiry which is expected to make a formal report.
I would venture to add one further observation and appeal to the noble Lord. Such a delegation is composed of members selected from both Houses by Mr. Speaker and by the Lord Chancellor respectively. In the case of the China delegation the number of members drawn from the two Houses was equal; in the case of the Russian delegation the number of members drawn from this House was a much smaller fraction of the delegation. I do trust that, having regard to the vastness and complication of the Indian problem and to the fact that a large number of noble Lords sitting in this House have had a long and special experience of India, the delegation on the present occasion will contain a proper proportion of members from this House.
§ LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCEIn reply, I must thank the noble Viscount for his reception of this proposal, which I am glad he welcomed. On the latter point, of course I could not give an answer now, but what he has said will be taken into full consideration.