§ Sir R. THOMASasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received advices of further slave raids by Abyssinian tribesmen into Kenya; whether he is aware that the traffic in slaves from Abyssinia to Arabia amounts to some 5,000 a year, and that a large proportion of these are British-born subjects; and what action he proposes to take?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONNo, Sir. I have received no information of further slave raids by Abyssinian tribesmen into Kenya. As regards the traffic in slaves from Abyssinia to Arabia, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 13th March by my right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty. His Majesty's Government continue to do everything in their power to prevent this traffic. The total numbers involved are, according to such estimates as can be formed, less than one-fourteenth of the figure mentioned by the hon. Member. As no captures of slave dhows have been made recently it is not possible to make any precise calculation as to what proportion, if any, of the slaves are British-born subjects, but there is no reason to suppose that it can be other than a very small one.