§ MR. WEIRTo ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, having regard to the fact that under the charter of the North British Borneo Company that company is required to have its head office in England, will he state why the regulations under which Chinese coolies are imported, registered, and hired out by the company to tobacco and other planters are not obtainable from that office by the Foreign Office; is he now in possession of information regarding the number of coolies imported into British North Borneo, the percentage of mortality from natural causes, and the percentage of deaths from floggings; and will the British representative arrange for this and other information relative to the government of the company's territory to be given in future in his annual reports.
(Answered by Earl Percy.) I have already informed the hon. Member that 601 no coolie contractor is employed by the company. His Majesty's Government have ascertained that the head office of the British North Borneo Company in England is not able to supply the other information required by the lion. Member, but the directors have been requested to obtain the necessary particulars from North Borneo. The company will be further requested to include the matters referred to by the hon. Member in their annual report.