asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Committee appointed by the Government of India to go into the question of the working of the reforms has yet reported; and, if so, whether a copy of the Report will be laid upon the Table of the House?

My Noble Friend understands that the Committee of Inquiry which has been appointed by the Government of India has completed the preliminary stages of the work, that is to say, the investigation of the legal and constitutional practicability of action under the Government of India Act, and that the Government are now in a. position to proceed to the next stage, namely, to consider what recommendations, if any, can be made for action within these lines. My Noble Friend has not received the Report of the conclusions arrived at in this preliminary stage, which must be of a purely formal character, nor would he consider it useful to lay a copy of it upon the Table of the House. The House will be fully informed in due course of any material results of the Inquiry that may affect considerations of policy.

Do I understand that it is the intention of the Government to provide the House with the Report at the earliest convenience at some later date, and is it their intention to give a copy of this Report to the Standing Joint Committee?

The question refers to the inquiries that have been already completed, and the answer to that is there would be no useful purpose in laying a copy of the Report upon the Table.

Is it not the case that one of the functions of the Standing Joint Committee is to consider and report on any proposed changes?

How are we to understand the further Report which is going to be published unless we see this Report, on which the further Report is to be founded?

I think the Noble Lord had better wait until he sees the Report.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, in view of the fact, that the published forms of reference of the Committee set up by the Government of India to inquire into the working of the Government of India Act includes the power to recommend amendments to that Act in order to rectify administrative imperfections, he can state if the Com- mittee will report to the Viceroy or the Secretary of State, and whether there is any precedent for entrusting to an official Committee, which has on it no Member of this House or of another place, the duty of suggesting alterations in an Act of Parliament?

The answer to the first part of the Noble Lord's question is that the Committee will report to the Government of India, by whom it will be appointed. As regards the second part, the terms of reference to this Committee were closely foreshadowed in the speeches of Sir Malcolm Hailey in the Legislative Assembly on the 8th and lath February, the relevant extracts from which were circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT of this House of 3rd March. It was then indicated as possible that the proposed inquiry might "show that some changes are required in the structure of the Act in order to rectify definite and ascertained defects experienced in actual working," as distinct from changes involving amendment of the Constitution. I have had no time to search for actual precedents, but I have little doubt that alterations in Acts of Parliament have frequently been, and will frequently be, suggested by Committees containing no Member of either House of Parliament.

Am I to understand the hon. Gentleman to say that the constitution of the Committee was foreshadowed in the speech which he made in this House in March?

No; I said the terms of reference.

Are not the terms of reference somewhat wider than the hon. Member foreshadowed in his former speech?

Can the hon. Gentleman say when this Report will be submitted to the Joint Committee, which was established for the purpose of considering such questions?

I think we had better wait for the Report.

I beg to give Notice that I will raise this question on the Adjournment.