§ 57. Mr. Challenasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, having regard to the fact that Belgian importers give a written guarantee that horses exported from this country to Belgium are exported for work and not for slaughter, he will investigate the circumstances in which horses disembarked from the s.s. "Aire" at Antwerp on 15th February, 1949, were taken to the Antwerp abattoir and were slaughtered in the presence of a chief inspector of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on 16th February, 1949.
Mr. T. WilliamsYes, Sir. I am baying inquiries made and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. ChallenWill the right hon. Gentleman consider, if as the result of his inquiries he finds the facts to be true, whether some penalty should be attached to this breach of guarantee, to prevent this kind of thing from happening?
Mr. WilliamsYes, but it would be difficult to impose a penalty upon an importer resident in Belgium. What we could do, however—and I am considering the point at the moment, although I do not want to prejudice this case while inquiries are being made—would be to consider the possibility of refusing further permits to that importer.
§ Mr. SutcliffeIs it not a fact that nearly all horses which have been exported to Belgium from this country as working horses have been killed almost immediately? Belgium does not want all these working horses we are sending.
Mr. WilliamsAs the hon. Member must be aware from a previous Question put to me, I stated then that horses were permitted to leave for Belgium only on the definite written understanding that they were to be for working purposes and not for slaughter.