COCKFIGHTING BILL (Hansard, 15 July 1952)

§ LORD AMULREE
My Lords, I must apologise for rising a second time to move the Second Reading of a Bill which is rather like a Bill that I brought about two years ago to your Lordships' House but which did not have the luck to get on the Statute Book. I hope this one may have better fortune. I should like to recapitulate briefly a few facts about cockfighting. Cockfighting was made illegal in the year 1853, but a good deal of evidence has accumulated in the past hundred years that a certain number of cockfights—or, as they are called, "mains"—have been held in various parts of the country. It is very difficult to track them down because naturally great precautions are taken by the promoters to hold them in secret. Generally the day and place where they are to be held are kept secret until the day of the "main." The place where it is to occur is very well guarded, while the birds are conveyed in cars, milk floats or covered vans; and, if they are stopped, the people concerned say they are taking the birds to show. However, several successful prosecutions have taken place in recent years, notably between 1927 and 1938, when there were about a dozen prosecutions, which ranged over a large part of the country—Lancashire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Hampshire and Cumberland. They were not confined to any one place.
The point of this Bill is to make it simpler, in a way, to enforce the existing law by making it illegal to rear and keep birds for cockfighting. The rearing of birds for cockfighting involves four separate operations: first, the taking away of the comb or wattle of the cockerel; secondly, cutting the wing feathers short; thirdly, cutting the tail feathers; and, fourthly, taking off the natural spurs from the bird's legs. In order that a person shall not get into trouble if these things are done to meet ordinary natural requirements, the Bill does not cover a bird which has only had its comb or wattle taken off and/or its wing feathers clipped. By reason only of that, a domestic fowl shall not be deemed to be prepared for use in fighting … Birds kept in fenced yards are liable to fly over the fence, so it will not be an 1064 offence under the Bill for the wings to be clipped. It is the four operations I have mentioned which are made illegal.
The second point of the Bill is to prohibit people keeping appliances for cockfighting. The one appliance which is kept for cockfighting is a metal spur which is tied to the bird's leg. It is a very wicked and vicious object, about a couple of inches long. It is sharp, and the birds carry on their fighting with it. Many people keep these spurs as museum pieces and in collections. Under the terms of the Bill, the court shall not deem it an offence if the spurs are obviously kept for sentimental reasons or by collectors; or if a person had a spur in his pocket, as I have now, he would not be liable to prosecution. This Bill will help to make it possible to enforce the law passed in 1853. I do not think the Bill will cause any trouble to people who want to keep fowls lawfully and reasonably, and I hope your Lordships will be good enough to give the Bill a Second Reading. I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, for reasons similar to those mentioned by me in respect of the Bill which preceded this one, I beg to give the support of my noble friends on this side of the House to this Bill. In addition, I think I ought to compliment the noble Lord on having the great good fortune to introduce two such Bills in one day for your Lordships' consideration.

THE EARL OF ONSLOW
My Lords, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, I rise to give a welcome and full support to the noble Lord's Bill. I think it is fair to say that, whatever else is said about us or this country to-day, we are still paramount in the world in our interpretation of the word "sport." When we find a sport such as cockfighting debasing itself, we remove it from the realm of our activities and recreations. From what the noble Lord has said, however, there are obviously a few people who choose this cruel amusement for their own personal gain, either by trying to make a fortune out of a wager or by being paid what to-day would be called black market sums for managing and administering the cock stables for these fights. There is no doubt 1065 about it that the noble Lord's Bill will go a long way to remove this abuse. Before I close, I should like to say that this Bill pays a great tribute to our Parliamentary system, in that, in the middle of all the troubles, difficulties and arguments that we have to-day, we can give a few moments to bettering the lot of a few barndoor fowls. With those remarks, I beg to give Her Majesty's Government's support to the Bill.