§ Mr. FREEMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in future, he can arrange that in keeping statistics of live animals imported he can show separately the number of horses and ponies intended for use in mines; and the numbers actually employed in mines which have come in?
§ Mr. W. R. SMITHThe information obtained at the time of importation of horses and ponies does not show the purpose for which the animals in question are to be employed, nor do I think that reliable data as to the uses to which imported horses and ponies are in fact put would be secured by requiring a declaration to be made by the importers, who in many cases would only be importing for purposes of future sale. As regards the last part of the question, I do not think that the value of the information which might be obtained would be of sufficient value to justify the time and money spent in securing it.