§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Home Secretary if he will state the full particulars under which a farmer and his carter were prosecuted at Andover Police Court last December for destroying a fox; and whether, seeing that by law foxes are vermin and that the two men were acting in protection of the national food supply, he will consider the advisability of remitting the fine?
§ Sir G. CAVEI am informed that the two men referred to in the question were charged under Section 8 (b) of the Protection of Animals Act, 1911, with putting poisoned cheese on land and pleaded guilty to the charge. It appears that the poison (which was strychnine) was laid in an open place close to a public road and that no precautions were taken to prevent its being consumed by a dog or other domestic animal. Upon the facts as stated to me I see no sufficient ground for remitting the fines.