LORD WYNFORDMy Lords, I rise to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can give any information as to the amount of the grant that may be expected from the Development Fund for the purpose of encouraging the breeding of light horses. I hardly expect that the noble Earl will be able to give this information, but I wish to bring the matter forward as I consider it one of urgency. Towards the end of last year the Hunters Improvement Society—this society and the Hackney Society are the two most influential societies which interest themselves in horse-breeding in this country—appointed a very strong committee, who spent a lot of time and went very carefully into the question of horse-breeding with a view of bringing out some scheme. In the late spring or early summer of this year they presented a report to the council, who ordered if to be printed, and I think a copy of that report was sent to each of your Lordships. I do not intend now to go into the merits of that scheme, beyond saying that I believe it is accepted on all hands as being an excellent and practical one. The noble Earl has told us that he also has a scheme ready, and I can only hope that his scheme, if not identical in detail with that of the Hunters Improvement Society, is at all events on the same lines. But whatever scheme is going to be put into operation, unless something is done very soon the whole of a valuable year will be wasted. Any scheme which includes the registration and examination of stallions, the registration and possible purchase of brood mares, in addition also to the appointment of committees, will take a long time to bring into operation, and it is essential, if it is to be brought into operation this year, that something should be done without delay. The noble Earl will probably tell me that he can do nothing himself, and that he is entirely in the hands of the Development Commissioners. I believe the Development Commissioners, who were appointed in April last, have not yet held a meeting. I do not know if the reason for this is that the Vice-Chairman, Sir Francis Hopwood, cannot be spared from his duties at the Colonial Office. However that may be, I am anxious to point out the necessity of getting some scheme into operation unless another year is to be wasted. I trust that if the noble Earl cannot answer my Question he will at least be able to 208 inform your Lordships that something is going to be done in this matter at an early date, and I hope he will use his influence in that direction.
§ EARL CARRINGTONMy Lords, I need hardly assure the noble Lord opposite that the Board of Agriculture are quite as anxious to bring this matter to a head as he is himself. I am also pleased to think that the able recommendation of the Hunters Improvement Society runs very much on all fours with the scheme that the Board of Agriculture have in view, and which I had the honour some time ago of explaining to your Lordships. I think we can congratulate ourselves that we have the entire sympathy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. There never was a Chancellor of the Exchequer in my recollection who was more sympathetic with the claims of agriculture. He has for the first time given us a grant of a quarter of a million towards the claims of the industry that I have the honour to represent. The Board are in close communication with the Development Commissioners, and I hope that it will not be very long before we shall come to some practical and satisfactory result. At the same time 1 think the noble Lord opposite will agree with me that it would be hardly fair on the Treasury or on the Development Commissioners that I should state at this moment what the exact sum is that I have asked the Development Commissioners for. I hope he will be satisfied with this answer, and with the assurance that nothing will be left undone so far as my Department is concerned to bring the horse supply of the country to a satisfactory position.
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREMy Lords, we have always recognised the anxiety of the noble Earl to do something in this important matter, but I think we really have shown the patience of saints and it is time we began to ask for a little more definite progress. The noble Earl will, I am sure, remember that this matter crystallised at a meeting which he called at the Board of Agriculture at the beginning of 1906, when we were definitely asked to produce a scheme for the Government to see. That scheme has been produced, and the Government told us last year that they, too, had a scheme. I cannot help expressing my disappointment that the noble Earl the President of the Board 209 has not been able to answer the Question of my noble friend behind me, because, after all, this matter is urgent, and obviously it is desirable that some start should be made this summer. We who know the details of the Hunters Improvement Society's scheme know it to be an excellent one. The noble Earl tells us that in principle his scheme agrees with the scheme of the Hunters Improvement Society. I confess 1 should not have thought it unreasonable to ask that we should know at once the definite sum the Government propose to give to this definite service. If the noble Earl says he cannot give it, we cannot press for it; but I do seriously hope that progress may be made in the very early future, not progress in obtaining the sympathy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which we know we have got, but progress in seeing the colour of his money. I hope that at any rate before the adjournment for the recess the noble Earl may be able to tell us what sum may be expected for this import ant service.