11. Major Lloydasked the Under-Secretary of State for India what functions are being performed by the public relations department of the India Office; what reduction in staff has been made since the change in the Government in India; whether the Government of India has appointed its own public relations officer in London; and how long the India Office establishment will continue.
§ Mr. A. HendersonThe Indian and Burma Offices maintain a joint information department. Its functions in relation to India are to keep the public in this country and abroad informed of Indian developments and of the policy of His Majesty's Government towards India. Recently it has had to undertake the additional duty of supplying to the United Kingdom High Commissioner in India material regarding developments in this country and guidance on publicity also. The additional work involved has offset the reductions in staff which would have resulted from the transference of certain functions previously discharged by the Information Department of the India Office to a public relations officer appointed in the last few days by the Government of India to the staff of the Indian High Commissioner in London. With regard to the third part of the Question I am unable to say how long the information department will continue.