§ 26 Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether any of the horses belonging to the national stud are raced at the present time; and, if so, under what arrangements;
(2) to what extent the national stud is at present maintained in order to secure a supply of adequate remounts for the Army; and for what other purposes the stud is maintained;
(3) whether all persons interested in the breeding of thoroughbred horses and desirous of leasing racehorses are assured of equal consideration by the management of the national stud, or whether arrangements are still in existence by which preferential treatment is given to certain persons in this connection?
§ Mr. ELLIOTOne horse belonging to the National Stud is at present in training. Horses which it is desired to retain for stud purposes are leased for their racing careers, and no change has been made in the arrangement whereby such horses are leased for racing purposes to one particular individual. The breeding of the highest class of thoroughbreds, which is the function of the stud, exercises a beneficial influence on light horse breeding generally, but the stud's continuance is not now essential on military grounds.
§ Mr. HALL-CAINEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a considerable loss on the National Stud at present; and will he cause some inquiry to be made into the matter, if he has the power?
§ Mr. ELLIOTYes, Sir. We should have to take a series of years, but I shall be very glad to go into the question of the accounts.
§ Mr. MANDERWhat is the name of the horse?
Lieut.-Colonel Sir C. MacANDREWIs it not the case that, if a policy of breeding from younger mares were pursued, we would get better stock?
§ Mr. ELLIOTIt is a little difficult to go into exact policy in answer to a question. As to the name of the horse, it is a great surprise to me that my hon. Friend should wish to know it. The horse is Caretta, which ran third in the One Thousand Guineas.
§ Mr. HALL-CAINECan the right hon. Gentleman say whether anybody else, except one person, has the right to these horses from the National stud?
§ Mr. ELLIOTNo. It would be inadvisable, in the case of property like racehorses, to put them up to auction, and the only way we can deal with the matter is to select one individual and see if the arrangements are satisfactory. Up to now these arrangements, over a long period of time, have worked satisfactorily.