§ MR. YOXALL (Nottingham, W.)To ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether any further consideration than the reply of the Board to a correspondent, dated 25th May, 1901, has been given to the suggestion that dog licences should only be issued in respect of dogs wearing a collar with a metal disc attached bearing a registered number by which the identity and ownership of a dog could be traced.
(Answered by Mr. Hanbury.) The suggestion made by the correspondent to
† See (4) Debates, cviii., 1096.500 which the hon. Member refers has not been lost sight of. I agree in the object which he has in view, viz., that it is desirable that there should be better means than exist at present for the identification of dogs with their owners, but I do not think that it would be practicable to adopt the particular proposal made, if only because it might easily lead to the further evasion of the licence duties. The wearing of a collar with the name and address of the owner is probably as effective a means of identification as any, and I hope to make proposals in this direction.