Mrs. Manningasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to an attack upon four performing lions by a lion tamer named Clem Merk armed with a training fork in a circus at Manchester on 20th January and of the mauling by a performing bear of Merk's assistant, Reginald Robinson, during the same performance; whether he will state the name of the circus owner and order an inspection of the animals concerned and the weapons used, by two independent veterinary surgeons; and, if necessary, institute criminal proceedings against those responsible under the Protection of Animals Act, 1911.
§ Mr. EdeI am informed that in the first incident a tight rope performer fell242W into a cage of five lions. Four left the cage on the command of their trainer; the fifth left when the trainer made some flourishes with a training fork. There was no evidence that any of the animals had been touched; an inspector of the R.S.P.C.A. who subsequently saw them found no signs of ill-treatment. In the second case, according to my information, a bear accidentally scratched an assistant; but the injury was so slight that no hospital treatment was needed. There appear to be no grounds for proceedings against the owners of the circus or anyone else; to give their names would serve no useful purpose.