42. Viscountess ASTORasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that the Government has approved an amendment to the Federated Malay States Women and Girls Protection Enactment, whereby a prostitute suspected of being venereally diseased may be compulsorily examined, he will explain the reason for authorising this amendment, which appears to be inconsistent with the general principles laid down in the 1925 Report of the Advisory Committee to the Colonial Office on Singapore; and whether he will call this Committee together again to consider this amendment, and others of a like character, and report upon them?
§ Mr. AMERYThe object of the amendment is to prevent brothel-keepers from evading the provisions of the law which prohibits their permitting a woman suffering from contagious disease to remain in the brothel. There was previously no power to order the medical examination of a prostitute. Thus the object of the law has been defeated by 403 brothel-keepers instigating prostitutes to object to medical examination. There is no question of any general compulsory and periodical examination. The amendment has received my approval, and I do not consider it necessary to call the former Committee together again to consider it.