§ 10. Mr. HUTCHISONasked the Home Secretary whether he will take steps to give power to benches of magistrates before whom cases of gross cruelty to animals are heard to order a medical examination of the prisoners whom they may decide to convict before sending them to prison?
Mr. STANLEYNo, Sir. Magistrates can already obtain a medical examination in all cases where they consider it desirable.
§ Mr. HUTCHISONAre the magistrates not entitled to send criminals of this type to Broadmoor?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONWill the Undersecretary see to it that the Department will extend no leniency of any sort or kind to anyone guilty of such gross cruelty to animals?
Mr. STANLEYObviously, any action which my right hon. Friend takes will always depend upon the circumstances of the case. I can give no assurance with regard to a hypothetical case.
§ 11. Sir ROBERT GOWERasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case of Frederick Kay, who was recently convicted and sentenced to imprisonment by the Romford justices for beating a dog to death; and whether, in view of this and other cases of cruelty to animals, he will consider instituting legislation authorising courts to inflict the penalty of flogging upon persons so convicted and also forbidding the further issue to them of licences to keep dogs?
§ 13. Captain SPENCERasked the Home Secretary whether he will consider introducing legislation with a view to making more drastic the penalties imposed on persons convicted of cruelty to animals and preventing the further issue of dog licences to such persons?
Mr. STANLEYThe attention of my right hon. Friend has been drawn to the case in question. He could not undertake to introduce legislation on this subject.
§ Sir R. GOWERIs the Under-Secretary aware that the man informed the court that within the last few years he 1992 had killed seven other animals in a similar fashion, and could he not introduce some form of legislation which would deprive the man, and others similar to him, of the right to own dogs in the future?
Mr. STANLEYThe question has been very carefully considered, and there are almost insuperable difficulties in the way of introducing legislation. With regard to the other part of the hon. Member's question relating to flogging, I would point out that, in this particular case, the man was 60 years of age, and, obviously, flogging would not be a suitable punishment.
§ Sir R. GOWERWill the Under-Secretary tell me what are the insuperable difficulties?
Mr. STANLEYI could not do that within the limits of a Parliamentary answer, but, if my hon. Friend would like to discuss the matter with me, I shall be glad to do so.
§ Mr. THORNEIs the hon. Member not aware that the man in question had been to Church on the same morning?
§ Mr. MAXTONDoes the Under-secretary regard the flogging of a man as a more moral action than the beating of a dog?