§ SIR H. COTTON (Nottingham, E.)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, having regard to the fact that in the year from the 1st July, 1905, to 30th June, 1906, which is the latest period for which figures are available, 1,840 Chinese coolies were repatriated as permanently incapacitated for work owing to physical infirmity or disease, he will inquire into the mortality among these coolies on their return voyage to China; and will he consider whether the number of such coolies put on board ship in a moribund condition should not be included in the statistics of mortality among Chinese coolies employed in the Transvaal.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. CHURCHILL, Manchester, N.W.)I have no information beyond that contained on pages 28 and 29 of Cd. 3338.
§ SIR H. COTTONWill the Secretary of State be good enough to obtain the information?
§ MR. CHURCHILLI shall be glad to get as much information as possible for the House of Commons, but this is not a matter for which the Colonial Office is now responsible.
§ SIR H. COTTONBut the information asked for relates to a period when this Government was responsible.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI am sure the Colonial Government will be willing to give what information it can, and I will see if this is information which we can properly ask for.