§ Mr. PERKINSasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to specific cases of ill-treatment of worn-out horses exported from Tilbury, Hull, Glasgow, and Grimsby to Holland and Belgium in March last; and whether his Department requires more powers than it possesses to deal adequately with the cruelty attendant on this business?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI received recently a copy of a publication entitled "The Animals' Guardian," which contained allegations of ill-treatment in connection with the export of horses from the ports named in the question. I immediately called for a report front the Board's inspector who is specially charged with the supervision of this traffic, and I am informed that the statements made are exaggerated and misleading. I have no reason to believe that the powers of the Board under the Diseases of Animals Act, 1910, are insufficient, or that the Board's inspectors are negligent in the performance of their duties.