§ Sir G. TOULMINasked the Secretary of State for India when the Royal Commission on the Public Services in India was appointed; when the sittings at which evidence was taken were held; whether the evidence was printed immediately after the sittings at which it was heard; and when and where the evidence was printed and, if any volumes were sent over from India, how many sets?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe Commission was appointed on 31st August, 1912. Oral evidence was taken at sittings in 1913 and 1914. A Report of the evidence was printed immediately after each day's sitting. The contents of Volumes II. to X., which represent the first year's work, were printed in India at different provincial presses, and 1,500 copies were sent to England. The contents of Volumes XI to XX., representing the second year's work, were printed in England. Volume XII. contains evidence taken in this country. The decision to print the other volumes also here was made on the ground of convenience and to save time. In these volumes the oral evidence is not given in full, but as a précis compiled from the original shorthand notes, and corrected by the witness. The printing in England was done from the précis thus corrected.