§ Mr. Moreingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet received from His Majesty's Ambassador in China the expected report on the arbitrary reduction by the Chinese courts of rents on property owned by British subjects in favour of Chinese tenants and on the absence of effective means of recovering rents from defaulting tenants?
§ Mr. EdenYes, Sir. His Majesty's Ambassador has had this matter under review and has discussed it with a subcommittee of the British Chamber of Commerce. He has informed the subcommittee that it would not appear possible for him to take any effective action until an instance of reduction of rent by the Chinese courts occurs of such a kind that it can be made the subject of a test case. Meanwhile, this question will doubtless figure in the international petition which, as my Noble Friend stated in answer to my hon. Friend on Monday last is to be presented to the Chinese Government.