§ 58. Mr. Leachasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been directed to the live hare coursing meetings to be held on 23rd, 24th and 25th instant involving great waste of petrol, harmful use of agricultural land, wrong employment of large numbers of men, time-breaking by munition and other workers on a large scale and the encouragement of gross cruelty to animals; and if he will prohibit these meetings.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Peake)As was stated by the Home Secretary in reply to a similar question last year, whatever may be the arguments for amending the provisions which Parliament enacted in the Protection of Animals Acts of 1911 and 1921 on the subject of coursing, it would not be justifiable to use the Government's wartime powers for the 30 purpose of dealing with the controversial question of blood sports. While I recognise my hon. Friend's desire to support by wartime considerations his objection to these sports, the information which the Home Office has been able to obtain on the points mentioned in his Question does not support his allegations or furnish grounds for enabling my right hon. Friend to hold that the coursing in question is likely to prejudice the efficient prosecution of the war.
§ Mr. LeachCannot the right hon. Gentleman conceive of any measures to put an end to this debasing and wasteful practice?
§ Mr. PeakeMy hon. Friend's views on this matter are, of course, well known, but I am sure that he will appreciate that, if Ministers were to start using their wartime powers to abolish sports and pastimes of which a section of the community disapproved, there would very shortly be no recreations or entertainments left.
§ Mr. N. MacleanApart altogether from the moral point of view, is not the other point in the Question a consideration—the waste of petrol on these three days' sport?
§ Mr. PeakeOf course, there is a use made of taxicabs for this and many other forms of recreation, but I am sure that my hon. Friend who asked the Question would be extremely sorry, and so should I, if the forthcoming Chess Congress in Blackpool, for instance, were to be abandoned on account of the fact that some people might go to it by taxicabs.
Mr. AstorWill my right hon. Friend give an assurance that the abolition of traditional field Sports of England is no part of the war aims of His Majesty's Government?