Mr. David Adamsasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that recently search parties have been instituted in the East End of London and elsewhere for the purpose of collecting Chinese seamen protesting against the non-payment of bonus, and that these men are being taken to ports for shipment to China; and whether steps will at once be taken to terminate this?
§ Mr. PeakeI have no knowledge of any such search parties, but recently a number of Chinese seamen who had been convicted for being absent without leave or for refusing to obey orders, and whose places on the ships had been filled, were repatriated. Prior to their repatriation some of these men were serving sentences of imprisonment; others, who had been bound over, had been directed by the immigration officer, acting in pursuance of his powers under the Aliens Order, 1920, to remain at a designated hostel. When the time came for their repatriation they were all collected by the police and taken under police escort to the port of embarkation.