§ Colonel DAYasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information and can report to the House on the steps that have been taken by either the Governments of the Straits Settlements or that of British North Borneo for the purpose of controlling the production of durgs or enforcing the reduction in opium smoking?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThere is no production of drugs in the Straits Settlements or in the State of North Borneo, but in each of those territories there is stringent legislation for the control of the possession, distribution and use of deleterious drugs. As regards opium smoking, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the "Report of the512W British Malaya Opium Committee, 1924, copies of which are available in the Library of this House. The policy outlined in that Report is being carried out. While, however, good progress has been made in giving effect to the preliminary measures recommended in the Report, there is little prospect of an effective reduction in the amount of opium smoked so long as unlimited supplies of opium are available in China and continue to be smuggled into the Colony. Action on similar lines is being taken by the Government of the State of North Borneo.