§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)On behalf of the hon. Member for the St. Patrick Division of Dublin, I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether many of the foreign mules and horses purchased for the service have been found unsatisfactory; and whether he can state the relative numbers of the supply of animals obtained from the various countries, including Great Britain and Ireland, within the last twelve months.
*MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. WYNDHAM)There have been no complaints of foreign horses, nor of the mules, except in the case of Italy, from which country a number of mules were despatched which (from their size and shape) proved unsuitable for South African draught. The approximate numbers purchased have been as follows:—Horses:Great Britain, 12,010; Ireland, 4,746; Australia, 406. Cobs: Argentina, 5,864; Australia, 300. Mules: Italy, 7,004; Spain, 4,507; North America, 15,903.
§ MR. WASON (Clackmannan and Kinross)How many of the 12,000 horses stated to have been purchased in. England were purchased in Scotland?
*MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMSI understand that the greater includes the less, and that, therefore, England includes Scotland.