MR. BRYNMOR JONES (Swansea District)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to a statement of the Attorney-General of the Transvaal Colony that the children of Chinese subjects imported into the Transvaal Colony, under the provisions of the Transvaal Labour Importation Ordinance, 1904, born in the Transvaal Colony will be British subjects; and, if so, will he take steps to secure that such children can be repatriated under the above-mentioned Ordinance, or under the Transvaal Peace Preservation Ordinance; and will he lay the Transvaal Peace Preservation Ordinance, referred to on page 81 of Further Correspondence regarding the Transvaal Labour Question [Cd. 1941] upon the Table.
§ MR. LYTTELTONMy attention has been drawn to the statement referred to, and as a question of law it is no doubt correct, but inasmuch as no child can be older than six at the time when the question of repatriation arises, I do not see how any practical difficulty is likely to arise under Section 33 (2) of the Ordinance, which will apply. The Peace Preservation Ordinance will be included in the next Parliamentary Paper on the subject. Meanwhile, I will cause a copy to be placed in the Library.