§ MR. ERNEST SPENCER (West Bromwich)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to announce the date of the withdrawal of the Muzzling Order (Dogs) for Staffordshire?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTUREI regret that I cannot at yet announce any date for the withdrawal of the Muzzling Order now in force in South Staffordshire. A serious case of rabies occurred in Birmingham so recently as the 30th March last, and in view of the proximity of the district which my honourable Friend has specially in view, and of its dense population, the relaxation of the Order at the present time would almost certainly be found to be premature and to retard the success of our operations for the extinction of the disease.