§ MR. HUDSON KEARLEY (Devonport)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture (1) whether his attention has been directed to the death of a man in London on 19th July from glanders; (2) whether he is aware that a horse suffering from this dangerous disease has been kept alive for nearly a year by the Middlesex County Council, to the risk of other horses and men; and (3) whether in the event of that authority continuing to refuse compliance with their obligations, he will, under the powers possessed by the Board, compel the slaughter of this animal and charge the costs upon the local authority?
§ MR. J. BIGWOOD (Middlesex, Brentford)asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would state that the fact was that the horse in question belonged not to the County Council, but to a private individual?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Liverpool, West DerbyCertainly, Sir, I have not received any information as to the unfortunate occurrence mentioned in the first paragraph of the Question, and I do not understand that it has any connection with the case of the glandered horse to which the hon. Member subsequently refers; with regard to that horse, I am informed by the Middlesex County Council that they decline to order its slaughter, although they are willing to make and carry out all arrangements for the purpose, if the owner himself consents to its being killed; under existing circumstances I do not think I should be justified in adopting the course suggested by the hon. Member in the last paragraph of his Question.