§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, seeing that in filling the post of surgeon-general of Madras the appointment was made by the Government of India from the All-India list, he will state why, in view of the fact that health is now a 53W transferred subject, such an appointment was not left to be made by the Government of the Madras Presidency?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe Indian Medical Service, being an All-India Service, is a central subject, and to safeguard the position of the members of the service it is provided in the Devolution Rules that a local Government shall employ such number of Indian Medical Service officers in such appointments and on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary of State in Council. Among the posts reserved for the Indian Medical Service under this rule is that of Surgeon-General with the Government of Madras, and one of the conditions prescribed by the Secretary of State in the case of this and a small number of other high posts is that they shall be filled by nomination by the Governor-General. The object of prescribing this condition was to safeguard the interests of the service as a whole and the claims of officers not serving in the particular province concerned.