§ 62. Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he proposes to promote legislation for Hong Kong and Malaya whereby all transferred children must be registered?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreIn Malaya the Government of the Straits Settlements has decided to adopt in principle the recommendations of the Minority Report of the recent Mui-Tsai Commission. I hope that the Governments of the Malay States will reach a similar decision. In Hong Kong the problem in general presents special difficulties of effective control owing to the free movement of the Chinese population between the Colony and Chinese territory, particularly at this time with many thousands of refugees. The Colonial Government, however, announced its willingness to give effect to the proposals of the majority report, but before reaching any final decision, I shall await an appreciation of the situation from the new Governor with whom I discussed the problem before he sailed from this country.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreIf I remember, when the hon. Member was in office several things were done in this matter, and, as he knows, the problem, particularly in Hong Kong, is very difficult, where you have a custom which is ingrained 923 in Chinese customs, and where you have hundreds and thousands of Chinese refugees coming in owing to the war position.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreHow can you prevent it under the conditions which obtain, when there are thousands of mui-tsai in China, some of them getting into Hong Kong?