§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to prohibit the use of regimental funds in connection with the use of departmental property, such as horses, to participate in fox hunting.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]No. Hunting is a demanding mounted activity which brings benefit in terms of improving equestrian standards, and positive exercise and development for the horses. Regimental funds are not public funds, so the question of a prohibition does not arise.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any insurance costs arise to public funds in respect of the participation of Army (a) horses and (b) personnel in hunting activities.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence how regiments organise payments for block bookings taken out with hunts each winter; and what costs arise to public funds in this respect.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]All payments to hunts are made from non-public funds.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current annual cost of keeping a Cavalry, Guards or King's Troop horse; and if this is fully met from public funds.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]The average annual cost of an Army horse is about £800 which is met from public funds.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what costs arise to public funds in respect of the participation of Army staff and horses in fox hunting; and if he will give the figures for the last two seasons broken down by character of cost.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]There are no additional costs to public funds.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence when, pursuant to the answer of 12 December, Official Report, column 782, Army horses were first permitted to ride in hunts.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]Records show that Army horses have been hunted since at least 1902, but it is believed that Army horses have participated in hunts for many years before that date.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days in the 1984–85 season the 19 Army officers referred to in the answer of 12 December, Official Report, column 782, hunted.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]Detailed records are not kept but on average each officer hunted about seven times during the season. Officers pay the entry fees for hunts from their own money.
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§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days in the 1984–85 season any of the 25 soldiers referred to in the answer of 12 December, Official Report, column 782, actually rode to hounds.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]Detailed records are not kept but each soldier hunted about three or four times during the season. Unlike officers, soldiers do not pay entry fees to the hunts; these are paid on their behalf from regimental funds.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the duties of the 25 soldiers referred to in the answer of 12 December, Official Report, column 782, in the 1984–85 season whilst at RAVC Melton Mowbray.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]To exercise and look after the Army horses sent by London units to Melton Mowbray.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many horses from each of the Household Cavalry, Kings' Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Guards Division were injured whilst hunting; and how many died whilst hunting or from causes directly related to hunting, in each of the last two seasons.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]During the last two seasons one horse died whilst on a hunt but its death was not directly related to hunting. No separate records are kept of injuries sustained on hunts.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence how the horses are selected to participate in hunting activities; how are the (a) officers and (b) men selected from amongst the volunteers; and how many horses have been selected in total in each of the last five years, broken down by the number of times they have been so selected.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]The horses that are selected for hunting are those which would benefit from the vigorous exercise and the teamwork involved in hunting. They tend to be the younger horses which have spent the summer on ceremonial duties in London. The officers and men selected for hunts are those who enjoy the hunts, are competent riders and are available to exercise the horses. Records are not kept of the number of times a horse has been selected for hunts during the last five years.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current usage of Land Rover registration number 64 HG 93 and Rice trailer 43 FL 94; and if he will make a statement on their use in connection with attendance at hunts in each of the last two seasons.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379-80]: Rice trailer 43 FL 94 is the property of the Guards Saddle club, having been purchased and insured by the club. Land Rover 64 HG 93 is the only military transport used by the personnel from the Household Division involved in the winter training at Melton Mowbray. It is used to collect forage, transport soldiers and tow a horse box. Money is recovered from the Guards Saddle club, appropriate to the distance travelled, and if the vehicle is used for taking horses to meets.
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§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence who owns the vehicles used to transport horses to hunt meetings; and who is responsible for the fuel and other running costs.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 985, c. 379–80]With the exception of one military Land Rover which amongst its other duties is sometimes used to take horses to meets, all vehicles used to convey Army horses to hunts are privately owned by the units concerned. Fuel and maintenance costs for these vehicles are met from regimental funds. In the case of the military Land Rover a recovery of cost is made from the unit's saddle club funds when the vehicle is used to transport horses to meets.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Army horses spend their winter at RAVC Melton Mowbray; what exercise and training the remaining horses receive and where; and why they do not participate in hunting there.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]About 25 per cent. of the Army horses spend the winter at Melton Mowbray. Horses which do not go to Melton Mowbray for winter exercising tend to be: horses which are unlikely to benefit significantly from winter exercising, usually the more mature horses; horses needed for ceremonial duties; horses needed for riding instruction in London. All horses that are based in London are exercised regularly, for varying durations, in Hyde park; some horses from the Household Cavalry are also sent to Sopley, Hampshire for two weeks winter exercising.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards soldiers at RAVC Melton Mowbray concealing their fox hunting activities there from other Army visitors to the centre.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985., c. 379–80]No attempt is made to conceal this activity from Army visitors to the centre.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what duties soldiers from the Guards Division would be employed on if they were not acting as grooms for fox hunting at RAVC Melton Mowbray.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 379–80]They would be exercising and looking after Army horses or undertaking equestrian training.