Viscountess ASTORasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether seing that Part III of the ordinance designed to bring about the abolition of the system of mui tsai in Hong Kong provided for the registration of all mui tsai in Hong Kong and that 1096W remuneration should be paid to these girls, why no such regulations have been issued;
(2) whether, seeing that Part III of the Hong Kong Ordinance, designed to bring about the abolition of the mui tsai system, made provision with regard to registration, what part of this section, if any, has been applied, and what reasons the Governor of Hong Kong has given for not applying certain sections of Part HI of the ordinance?
§ Mr. LUNNThe Ordinance provided that Part III should not come into operation until a date to be fixed by a Proclamation of the Governor in Council. It has not been thought advisable so far to bring it into operation for the main reason that the Governor, with full knowledge of the problem, is convinced that registration and regulation of wages could not be made effective in I he circumstances which have continuously existed in recent years in Hong Kong. My Noble Friend has no doubt that the difficulty of effective action is fully realised by the Noble Lady as she affirmed as recently as 30th April, in the Debate on the Colonial Office Vote, that the late Government was doing all it could in this matter. As I have previously explained, my Noble Friend is carefully considering the whole problem and a statement of the position and of his own policy will be forthcoming shortly.