§ Mr. FERENSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the fact that in Singapore prostitution is a fully recognised trade carried on under the supervision of the police and to the full knowledge of an officer appointed by the Colonial Government called the Protector of Chinese; that there are two central areas of public tolerated brothels in Singapore, one in the northern half of the town, known as the Malay Street quarter, and the other in the southern half, known as the Smith Street quarter, adjacent respectively north and south of the principal entry running from end to end through the middle of the town; if he will say whether he proposes to take any measure for abolishing this state of things, which is compromising to the British name and dangerous to the health of His Majesty's Forces stationed in Singapore; whether he has received a Report from the Government of the Straits Settlements upon the subject; and 679W whether he will lay the Report from the Governor of the Straits Settlements upon the Table of the House?
§ Mr. HEWINSI have called for and received a full and confidential Report on this subject from the Governor of the Straits Settlements which I do not propose to lay upon the Table of the House. I have complete confidence in the policy which is being pursued in this matter by the Governor, who has throughout given it his most careful attention in consultation with the official members of the Legislative Council and is anxious to adopt all practicable measures which will really effect improvement and not lead to the substitution of worse evils. The wide variety of races represented in the population of Singapore makes the problem peculiarly difficult. The statements in the first part of the question are misleading. The Protector of Chinese satisfies himself that no Chinese girl under twenty enters a brothel, and that every woman understands what she is doing and does it of her own free will. He also assists women to leave brothels if they so desire, and has, I am glad to say, been successful in helping a large number to do so. I do not know what is the police supervision to which the question refers, beyond what is necessary for the maintenance of public order and decency. As regards the position of the two areas mentioned, the Governor reports that the streets are cross streets, intersected by other side streets, and are not main thoroughfares ordinarily traversed by Europeans.
Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Protector of Chinese reported that in 1914 the inmates of all brothels were called to his office and their legal freedom explained to them; whether each woman was questioned as to whether she had any complaint to make; what answer did they make; were the keepers of the brothels present while this was taking place; and whether the inmates of the brothels included young girls or children?
§ Mr. HEWINSThe answer to the first and second parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the third and fourth parts, I have no precise information, but I assume that the keepers were not present. Children are not permitted to live in brothels, and on the rare occasions when a child is found it is removed and inquiry made.
680W
Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Protector of Chinese reported to the Government of the Straits Settlements that in 1914 there were over 2,000 prostitutes and 348 brothels in Singapore known to his Department; and whether they were registered as such?
§ Mr. HEWINSThe figures in the first part of the question are accurate; the answer to the second part is in the negative.
Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government of the Straits Settlements has by Ordinance made ten years the age limit of protection for young girls?
§ Mr. HEWINSNo, Sir.
The following Answers were issued during the Whitsun Recess: