§ LORD BARNARDMy Lords, I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether the War Office receives reports from the officers engaged in purchasing remounts and other horses for military purposes at various places in this country, and, if so, whether in the interests of agriculturists and horse-breeders, those reports, or summaries of them, can be made public. This Question ought, perhaps, more properly to have been addressed to the representative of the Board of Agriculture, but I have not been able so far to find out who represents that Department in your Lordship's House. I was much struck by the statement in the official reports of Col. Birkbeck, Inspector of Remounts, that British horses had proved far superior in South Africa to those procured elsewhere, and I think it is to be regretted that nothing has been done to induce agriculturists in this country to breed horses for military purposes. A great many farmers are ignorant on this subject, and there is a disinclination to breed horses suitable for such purposes. It is with a view to ascertain whether they should be told that it is not worth their while to breed such horses, or whether they should be encouraged to do so, that I desire to obtain information.
THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Lord RAGLAN)The Question really refers more to the subject of breeding horses than to that of remounts, and perhaps the noble Lord would have got a more satisfactory answer if he had addressed his Question to the Board of Agriculture. The War Office, of course, receive, reports from the officers and those engaged in the purchase of remount but these reports are entirely drawn up from the point of view of the horse purchaser, and not of the horse breeder. We have supplied the Board of Agriculture with information as to the specification of the horses which are required for Army purposes in peace as well as in war, and we are, of course, naturally anxious to do anything we can to assist in improving the system of horse breeding in this country with any information in our power. It is impossible, however, for us to publish the reports as a whole, but if there is any particular point as to which the noble Lord can make any suggestion, I will see if the information can be supplied.