§ Mr. FLEMINGasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Indian Government sell their cavalry, artillery, and transport horses, when cast as unfit for further work, by public auction, with a reserve on them of £l 13s. 4d.; and, seeing that horses sold at these low prices are almost invariably bought by natives, and succumb within a few months owing to ill-treatment and overwork, will he say what steps he will take to prevent these sales?
§ Mr. STANIERasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether horses sold out of the Army in India are in most cases sold to natives who use them for hire, causing cruelty to animals?
§ The VICE-CHAMBERLAIN of the HOUSEHOLD (Mr. Geoffrey Howard)In India Government horses are cast when considered unfit to stand the strain of a campaign, and are by no means necessarily unfit for ordinary work. Those actually unfit for ordinary work are not sold, but destroyed. There is no reason to suppose that horses thus sold are specially exposed to ill-treatment.