HC Deb 09 May 1977 vol 931 cc319-20W
Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of reported cases of cruelty to animals arising from transportation or treatment in (a) horse and pony markets and (b) cattle, sheep and pig markets in each of the previous three years.

Dr. Summerskill

Such statistics are not kept in my Department or in that of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prosecutions for cruelty to animals other than domestic pets in each of the last five years by counties.

Dr. Summerskill

Information in the form requested is not available; it is not possible from the data received centrally to distinguish domestic pets from other animals. Because of changes in police force boundaries comparable figures for counties are not available for the last five years. The total number of persons proceeded against for offences under various Acts dealing with cruelty to Animals is as follows:

1971 776
1972 736
1973 823
1974 790
1975 922

For 1975 the following table shows the statistics by police force area:

PERSONS PROCEEDED AGAINST FOR OFFENCES UNDER VARIOUS CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACTS—BY POLICE FORCE AREA
ENGLAND AND WALES 1975
Police Force Area No. of Persons
Avon and Somerset 32
Bedfordshire 10
Cambridgeshire 6
Cheshire 19
Cleveland 34
Cumbria 11
Derbyshire 24
Devon and Cornwall 29
Dorset 5
Durham 13
Essex 21
Gloucestershire 16
Greater Manchester 50
Hampshire 41
Hertfordshire 9
Humberside 18
Kent 28
Lancashire 25
Leicestershire 17
Lincolnshire 9
London City 2
Merseyside 28
Metropolitan Police District 25
Norfolk 12
Northamptonshire 11
Northumbria 13
North Yorkshire 22
Nottinghamshire 30
South Yorkshire 37
Staffordshire 28
Suffolk 8
Surrey 7
Sussex 31
Thames Valley 16
Warwickshire 14
West Mercia 32
West Midlands 43
West Yorkshire 38
Wiltshire 10
England 824
Dyfed Powys 19
Gwent 19
North Wales 21
South Wales 39
Wales 98
England and Wales 922