§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the Foreign Office have received any representations as to the prevalence of piracy in the Persian Gulf and on the China station; and whether there is reason to believe that piracy has increased since 1904.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYAs regards the Persian Gulf, the answer to both Questions is in the negative. There was recently a case of piracy in the Persian Gulf, and the offenders were captured by one of His Majesty's gunboats and handed over to the authorities. As regards China, piracy has been prevalent on the Canton and West Rivers during the latter half of 1906, and during 1907; and, in consequence, a patrol of those waters was established in November last by the Commander-in-Chief on the China Station. The British vessels have since been withdrawn on the organisation by the Chinese authorities of what appears likely to be an effective preventive service of their own.