asked the Secretary of State for India what was the object of appointing the War Block Committee in connection with the present scheme for the retirement of British officers of the Indian Army?

My hon. and gallant Friend is presumably referring to the committee appointed by the Commander-in-Chief under the Presidentship of Major-General Moens. Its object was to assist the Commander-in-Chief in deciding which officers should be selected for transfer to the special unemployed list created in accordance with the scheme recently announced.

Was it not contemplated that this committee would interview individual officers in each station, and is the hon. Member aware that this is not being done?

The object of the committee was to examine the record of these officers with regard to paragraph 4 (c) of Army Instructions, India, dealing with congestion in the higher middle ranks of officers in the army in India.

Could they not examine the records of these officers in Simla whey they are kept?

I think that we must be satisfied with the discretion of the general officer commanding in this inquiry.