§ 27. Mr. Higgsasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the conditions under which horses were being kept by the Scottish Horse Regiment, Dunkeld, Perthshire, last month; that nearly 700 horses were standing in the rain in a field fetlock-deep in mud beside a river; that they were covered with ordinary night rugs which had been soaked through for 11 days; that the horses were thin and weak; that they remained tied up for 22 hours out of the 24, and that they were unfit for military or other service due to constant exposure to rain; and has this state of affairs now been rectified?
§ Sir V. WarrenderI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Yardley (Mr. Salt) on Thursday last. It has since been ascertained that the horse lines were frequently moved and the only available roadways used for standings. Covered accommodation has now been provided.
§ Mr. HiggsIs the Minister aware that these questions were inspired by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and that, had a private individual been responsible, the society would have taken proceedings in this case?