§ Major POLEasked the Secretary of State for India whether any definite procedure has been decided upon in regard to the Report of the Butler Committee on the Indian States; whether he will consider postponing action on the Committee's recommendations until he has had an opportunity of considering the Report of the Statutory Commission; and if, before action is taken, an opportunity will be given to the representatives of the peoples of the Indian States to place before him their views on the Report?
§ Mr. BENNAs regards the first two parts of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Ken-worthy) on 8th July, but I may add that while preliminary discussion of some of the questions raised has been inaugurated in India, I do not anticipate that it will be possible to arrive at any final decisions before the receipt of the Report of the Statutory Commission. As regards the last part of the question, I would remind the hon. and gallant Member that the matters dealt with by the Committee are primarily Constitutional questions which can only be discussed between the duly constituted Governments concerned: but I have no doubt that any States' subjects who have views to express will make them known.