§ LORD RANKEILLOURasked His Majesty's Government whether they have received any recent report from the Governor of Ceylon with regard to the proposals for a new Constitution in that island.
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE MARQUESS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA)As I stated in the course of the discussion on the 20th December, 1938, the Governor of Ceylon was asked to lay his proposals before the State Council of Ceylon and to invite the State Council to debate upon them. This has been done, and the debate has been in progress in Ceylon for some time. In accordance with the procedure decided upon, the Governor's proposals have been split up into a number of separate Resolutions prefaced by a principal Motion which enables the State Council to have a general discussion on the proposals as a whole. The debate upon the principal Motion has been protracted, and it is anticipated that the debates upon the separate Resolutions will also take some time. It is not therefore possible at present to forecast when the debate will be completed. Until that time comes, the Governor can not be expected to formulate any further recommendations.
House adjourned at four minutes past seven o'clock.