Mr. BOSCAWEN (Kent, Tunbridge)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether any case of rabies has been reported in the neighbourhood of Tunbridge and Tunbridge Wells since the case of the mad dog which came from Croydon and was destroyed near Tunbridge last October; and, if not, whether it is the intention of the Department shortly to take off the Muzzling Order?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. W. H. LONG,) Liverpool, West DerbySince the occurrence of the case to which my honourable Friend refers the places nearest to Tunbridge from which rabies has been reported have been Croydon and Wychling, which are about twenty miles east and west of that town respectively. In view of the past history of the disease in Kent and of the local circumstances, it would be premature for me as yet to relax the Muzzling Orders now in force in that county, but the position has much improved, and I hope it may not be very long before I am in a position to give effect to the representations which I have received on the subject.