§ MR. DUNCOMBEOn behalf of the hon. Member for Northampton (Mr. A. DRUCKER) I beg to ask the President of: the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware of the fact that the majority of local bodies have not adopted the system of muzzling dogs recommended by the Departmental Committee, and also that many recognised authorities are against such compulsory muzzling; whether the said Committee took steps to ascertain the views of well-known breeders before making their Report: and if, considering the fact that muzzling entails serious inconvenience upon the owners of dogs and grave injury to the health of the animals, he will facilitate further inquiry?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. WALTER LONG, Liverpool, West Derby)I find it somewhat difficult to understand what my hon. Friend means by his first Question, inasmuch as the Departmental Committee recommended that muzzling orders should be made in future not by local, but by the central, authorities. I am aware of course that compulsory muzzling does not commend itself to everyone, but the question was fully discussed from all points of view before the Committee, who also took evidence from breeders. This being the case, I cannot assent to the suggestion that further inquiry is necessary.