HC Deb 17 March 1949 vol 462 cc2270-2

The following Question stood upon the Order Paper in the name of EARL WINTERTON:

39. To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the terms of reference of the committee to inquire into practices of alleged cruelty to animals.

Earl Winterton

In asking this question I wish to call attention to a custom and practice of this House. The Question deals with a subject on which an answer was given by the Lord President of the Council in the first instance. Naturally, I put the Question down to the Lord President of the Council, as he answered a Question on the same subject in the first instance. Yesterday I received a letter from a gentleman calling himself the Private Secretary to the Lord President of the Council, saying, in the third person, that the Question had been transferred to the Home Secretary. I suggest that where a question has already been answered on the subject by a Minister, it is very undesirable in general to transfer the matter to another Minister.

Mr. Ede

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

Earl Winterton

In view of the mystery surrounding this matter, would the right hon. Gentleman explain why the matter was originally handled by the Lord President of the Council and has now been handed over to him?

Mr. Ede

There is no mystery about it. This is a Question which would be normally answered by me. Last week it arose out of the Business answers that my right hon. Friend gave in reply to the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. Lipson

In considering this matter will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind the advisability of not extending the scope of the inquiry to all animals but of confining it to wild animals? Otherwise, the inquiry will take too long.

Mr. Ede

The question asked last week arose out of specific matters. I will en-deavour to see that the terms of reference are so framed that a reasonably speedy result can be achieved.

Mr. Dumpleton

When considering the terms of reference, will my right hon. Friend take note of my Amendment on the Order Paper to the Motion on "Cruelty to Wild Animals?"

["including the desirability of establishing a National Wild Life Trust to be responsible for the guardianship of wild animals and birds, with powers to regulate the control of their numbers by approved methods."]

Mr. Ede

Note has been taken of my hon. Friend's Amendment, and it will be considered when the terms of reference are being drafted.

Earl Winterton

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a very considerable difference of opinion, which is by no means on party lines, on this matter, and that many of us believe that the terms of reference should be much wider than has been indicated? Will the right hon. Gentleman give full consideration to this question upon which, as I said, there is no division on party lines?

Mr. Ede

I am very anxious to avoid the usual cliche "every relevant factor will be taken into consideration," but the spirit of that well-known Parliamentary statement will be borne in mind.