Lieut.-Colonel J. WARDasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to an address delivered by the Rev. H. R. Wells at Hong Kong on 9th March on the subject of child slavery in Hong Kong, and also the resolution of the meeting pressing upon the Government the advisability of taking action with a view to the ultimate abolition of girl slavery, and whether the Colonial Office propose to take immediate action to remove this stain upon the British name in the Far East?
§ Lieut.-Colonel AMERYYes, Sir. I have seen a newspaper report of the address in question and of the resolution pressing on the local government the advisability of registering all cases of child adoption with a view to the ultimate abolition of girl slavery. The law of Hong Kong does not recognise the existence of any servile status whatever, but as regards the class known as "mui tsai" the Secretary of State is in communication with the Governor of the Colony and 885W has already asked him to consider the possibility of requiring all children taken into adoption to be registered and thereafter subject to visitation.