39. Mr. SIMPSONasked the Minister of Agriculture how many bulls are kept for service in England and Wales and, of these, how many are non-pedigree animals?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Sir Robert Sanders)The number of bulls being used for service, as returned on 4th June, 1922, was 82,547. The tabulation of this year's returns is not yet completed. The annual agricultural 1867 returns do not distinguish between pedigree and non-pedigree animals, but special schedules were issued to members of breed societies in 1921, and about 90 per cent. were filled up and returned. These showed that on the 4th June of that year there were in England and Wales 8,164 bulls of one year old or above, entered or eligible for registration in a herd book. I may point out that this figure does not include pedigree animals kept by stockowners who are not members of a breed society.
Mr. SIMPSONIs it possible for future returns to classify bulls as pedigree or non-pedigree, so that we might have an annual return giving that information?
§ Sir R. SANDERSI am not sure. I will look into that question.