Viscountess ASTORasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if it is the intention of the Secretary of State to request the Government of Hong Kong to take action in that Colony on the lines of the recommendations of the two committees which reported respectively in August, 1925, and March, 1929 (Cmd. 2501 and Cmd. 3294) on the subjects of brothel-keeping, procuration, and the protection of women and girls in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States?
§ Dr. SHIELSThe Committees to which the Noble Lady refers had before them certain legislation or draft legislation which referred only to Malaya, and the Secretary of State's predecessor did not request the Government of Hong Kong to take any action upon them. The circumstances of Hong Kong are not the same as those of Malaya, and in my Noble Friend's opinion any problems arising in Hong Kong would best be considered in relation to its own conditions.
Viscountess ASTORasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has any information as to what action, if any, has been taken by the Government of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States to put into operation the recommendations made in March, 1929, by the committee appointed by his predecessor to examine and report on certain new ordinances and enactments relating to brothel-keeping and the protection of women and girls?
§ Dr. SHIELSI would refer the Noble Lady to my predecessor's reply to the right hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Ormsby-Gore) on 6th November last. I may add that I have asked the Governor and High Commissioner to furnish me in due course with his detailed observations and proposals on the several recommendations of the committee.