Gailū da i, yn rymau cywmianeth? Please note that the Parliament is in session. Please do so as quickly as quietly as possible. On motion 4.1.8, on animal rights and human responsibilities, there will be a final decision, without any questions being put, and I would be grateful if those members who wish to participate could press the request-to-speak button. I � thoughtful and friendly debate, I hope, across the chamber that there will be nothing biting, clawing or scratching.  Will the Parliament gates go to the Parliament? wyliadion hynny dcarin cwestiynau yn dod o'u gwasanaeth a sír o gyfer yr aeth ddysgan. yn fawr, i'w ddarparu o'i ddefnyddio'r Jackie Baillie ac Gilydd, i'w Gilydd Paul Martin gyda unigol, cuddlig, gwanag oherwydd yn тыffwrniao, neu nawr, teimlo ddaeth rin fod yn cyfoeddwg. Felly wrth ar gyfer yr rygwrs yn gwneud o'u gweddau sy'n meddwl sydd rygwyr yn gwneud i sicrhau. Oni, rydw i'n cael ei bod yn digwydd credu'r cwestiynau pan arwyr, anewal welfare, some of whom are in the gallery today, they're just managing to get in, but last and not least the working dogs that will be joining us in the gallery. Sometimes I speak to one man and his dog, today I might be speaking with others to four dogs, and indeed I have been told that by the previous, the other deputy providing officer, Mr Scott, on his authority that Mr Q is my number one fan and stands to attention when I speak. It could be misread, but I'm taking it as respect. This is, of course, first and foremost, a recognition that all animals are sentient beings. We're just a wee bit higher up the evolutionary scale than them, and sometimes we even act as if we're a wee bit higher up the evolutionary scale. We have over the years tamed them, brought them to our fire for companionship and as guardians we have eaten them, we have abused them and still we can do all three. Those of us who have pets know that our commitment reaches way beyond that cuddly puppy and cute kitten. For me, that bird should not be caged. That rabbit needs a life beyond a hutch. So when we acquire, we buy that pet, it must be done with informed responsibility and commitment at the forefront of our minds, not just because it's do-eyed and cutesy. It must be for the right reasons, by the right person and given the right environment, not as a status symbol or a frivolous buy. We must accept that we can't just swan off for the weekend on holiday. You have to make provision for the care of your companion. There are inevitably vets bills ching ching when you go to the vets. It runs into hundreds or insurance costs. Your dog needs and will appreciate proper training and exercise. Oh, and if practicable for me, a cat flap, not for myself of course, is mandatory. I can't have a dog because of my lifestyle, so I have a sequence of cats and life in the wild of the garden, the battle scars from territorial scraps with the black feline next door, the odd bird and mouse remains on the rug. Are you recognising this, Ms Bailey? Are all part of living the life intended for them? You too must learn to live with your lifestyle. Just get lots of carpet cleaner and learn to rescue terrified birds from window ledges and to capture the odd terrified mouse and release it into the garden. It's a technique that I have mastered over the years and I'm happy to teach colleagues if they require the lesson. It's all to do with quality of life, the better their quality of life, the better you feel and you will learn as you go. I know, as the saying goes, that while dogs have masters, cats have staff. No does not mean no and any competent cat will be on your knee and being absentmindedly stroked before you know it. That quality of life must extend to the animals that we breed to eat. Factories are for making things and they are not and never will be farms. Even when we kill to eat, it must be done as humanely as possible. As for circuses, all acrobatics and clowning should be from the human species. Never ever by your pet from the back of a car, even if your heartstrings are tugged to breaking point, report it to the SSPCA or some other welfare organisation because it's simply wrong and you may be inadvertently supporting hideous puppy farming. Don't buy online. It's not the same as ordering next week's groceries or accessories for a new outfit. Animals are not things. By the way, we need to update the legislation on the sale of pets. The Pets Animals Act goes back to 1951. It's almost as old as me. It definitely needs a facelift. They act, not me. Let's enjoy our pets, our animal world, but let's do them the justice they deserve when we see that injustice, that ignorance, say, do something, even if only because we are more in common with them than we know. Many thanks. We turn to the open debate. I call first of all Alex Ferguson to be followed by John Mason, and I note that Alex Ferguson has to leave the chamber early. Deputy Presiding Officer, thank you very much and thank you for your indulgence in allowing me to leave the chamber early. I mean no harm to the chamber in having to do so. But like others, like others will, can I congratulate Christine Grahame on bringing this motion to the chamber this afternoon? I've been about to like the way it begins, because it begins by recognising and celebrating the contribution that animals bring to our world, be they pets, farmed or wild. If you think it's a little overstated, then just try and think of a world without any animals. It's not a pleasant thought, is it? The fact of the matter is that the animal kingdom has every bit as much a right to inhabit this planet as we do. We share the planet, but we have an added responsibility, which, as the motion points out, is to ensure that our animals enjoy the best possible welfare standards that we can help to provide. In the brief time available to me, I want to highlight just two aspects of animal rights and human responsibilities. The first was brought to my attention by a constituent who is profoundly deaf and whose quality of life has for many years been immeasurably improved by both the companionship and the expertise of a hearing dog. The issue that he raised with me is quite simply one of discrimination. We all know about guide dogs for the blind. How could we not with the wonderful and aforementioned Mr Q in our midst these days? We all know about that and we all know that exceptions are rightly made for them in all areas of life where pet dogs are normally excluded. Sadly, nothing like the same awareness appears to exist when it comes to hearing dogs, although I understand that the same legislation and regulations apply. My constituents have been refused entry to a number of establishments over the years and now know of many others who have had similar experiences. He has waged a lengthy and commendable letter writing campaign to have legislation strengthened, although I personally cannot help but feel that it is we who need educating about existing legislation and using it properly before we need to resort to new legislation in this field. It cannot be too difficult to ensure that our hotels, restaurants, cafes and other similar establishments are made aware of the need to treat hearing dogs with the same degree of respect as is shown to guide dogs. I would hope very much that debates such as this might help to initiate and kickstart that educated process. The second issue that I want to touch on is the one that has been raised with us by the National Farmers Union of Scotland and which is highly relevant to the human responsibilities part of the motion before us. As the NFUS briefing so succinctly puts it, it is essential that we ensure that companion animals and farm animals can coexist in the same environment without fear, distress or danger to each other. To achieve that aim, which is surely an entirely reasonable one, the human responsibility part of this motion, of this equation needs to be exercised to the full. We read too often about incidents of sheep and cattle worrying but that can be addressed by the exercising of proper control over the dogs by their owners if only they can be persuaded to exercise that control. The second aspect of the NFUS concern is to my mind even more serious than that. We now live in a world where it is almost universally accepted that dog owners and walkers pick up behind their dogs in our towns, cities and villages. I for one have been hugely impressed at the degree to which most people accept this as normal and sensible practice. That makes it all the more extraordinary in my opinion that people seem reluctant to take that same commitment with them when they take their animals into the countryside. In an urban setting, dog mess is antisocial and unpleasant. In a farm environment, it is also antisocial and unpleasant but it is also dangerous because dog mess can and does lead to disease in livestock, including abortion in cattle and death in sheep. I commend the national farmers union for its plans for a national campaign to promote an increased sense of responsibility amongst owners of dogs around farm animals. I hope that this Parliament will give that campaign its full support. It is a wonderful thing that people are effectively able to explore our countryside at will but the right that this Parliament conferred on them was not a right to roam. It was purposefully called a right of responsible access. All we need is a little more responsibility. I now call John Mason to be followed by Elaine Murray. I have to say that I thought that the heading for the motion was particularly good today as it combines the words rights and responsibilities. Both human beings and animals have rights but when it comes to talking about responsibilities I think that it has to be the human beings who shoulder most of those. I myself am very fond of animals and especially dogs. However, our first household pet was a budgie and I still remember as a youngster at primary school coming downstairs one morning taking the cover off his cage and finding him sadly deceased on the floor of his cage. We then had a couple of beagles in succession which were highly disobedient and most recently my mother has a disperbed collie which was amazingly obedient. Sadly it died a week past Monday age 15 and I used to go over every Sunday to my mother's for lunch and I would walk the dog after that so it was a bit strange I have to say going over last Sunday and there was no dog to walk. Therefore it is clear that many of us care very much for our pets and that can sometimes seem to go just a little bit too far. When a pet gets medical treatment faster than a human being does or when people leave their entire and large estates entirely to animal charities and nothing at all to people I do frankly get a little bit uneasy. We need to get a balance in all of that. There are many different forms of cruelty to dogs and other animals and I thought it was worth mentioning some of those today. There are the obvious forms like snares, chasing deer around field with cars, badger baiting etc. As Alex Ferguson has just mentioned and NFU Scotland were briefing us on they make many many valid points about irresponsible dog owners with livestock being distressed, hurt or killed by dogs. I think that air guns are also an issue especially for example the shooting of cats and if this Parliament is to control the licensing of air guns then I would hope that it is something we can clamp down on as is suggested by the league against cruel sports. There is unnecessary testing of products on animals and I would encourage colleagues to check the cleaning products they use in their offices. BUIV, the British Union for Abolition of Vivisection, do good work in this regard and the leaping bunny symbol indicates products are cruelty free. I think co-op stores are particularly good at stocking such products often with their own brand. Lastly, enlisting some of these areas of cruelty, my brother is a vet in Wales and tells me that one very common problem he faces is animals being overfed and overweight. Of course that can be difficult to tell the owners if they are also overfed and overweight and as with children sometimes saying no is the most caring response. In my constituency dogs trust have one of their two Scottish centres and it is well worth visiting if members have not done so. Last time I was in there visiting the staff they were telling me about the young offender rehabilitation which they are involved in. For example one young guy they were working with always had his hood up over his head which I guess indicated some of his personal issues. So they worked with him, explained that the dogs were frightened by the hood and at first he would agree to put the hood down for the dogs but not for people. However later on he came round to being much more relaxed in general and perhaps that's just a small indication of the positive impact animals can have even on some of the most difficult of people. I have to say I do not argue that we should care for animals because we are related to them, I believe we were created separately and are distinct from each other but I do believe we were given responsibility to look after all the animals of this world and that certainly includes wild as well as domesticated ones. People are more important than animals but that does not excuse cruelty. Having lived in Nepal for some years it was not unusual to see people throwing stones at dogs and even one time I was walking down the street and a dog itself was thrown out of a window. However I hope we as a society are moving on from that. Evidence shows that those who are cruel to animals are also cruel to their fellow human beings so human rights and animal rights are very much connected and I very much support them both. Many thanks. I now call Eileen Murray to be followed by Stewart Stevenson. Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer and can I start by congratulating Christine Grahame on bringing this motion to the chamber and on the organisation she's taken along with Dogs Trust and one kind on the displays in Parliament celebrating the contribution of pets to human wellbeing. The rolling exhibition of photographs of staff and MSP companion animals has attract much interest from the users of the building and I think it actually reminds us of all things we've got in common when we spend so much time in here fighting with each other. I've had the pleasure of the company of companion animals and a lot of the time it's been more than one all of my life. The first Murray family dog preceded me into the world and was later joined by succession of others, hamsters, fish, tortoises, I feel guilty still about the tortoises, stick insects, guinea pigs and rabbits as my animal loving parents presented very little resistance to enlarging the pet population of the house. My mother however did draw the line at rats and snakes I'm sorry to say. After a few short months without a pet when I started my postdoctoral degree made it clear to me that there was a hole in my life that only an animal could fill and we were joined by my first feline, a tortoise shell and white kitten called Topcat who brought home whole loads of mice she had dead corpses under my bed put them in my sports kit and eventually walked out of me because I got a new boyfriend whom she didn't like she never came back I never found out where she went my oldest child was named after a delightful little cat who was sadly killed on the road a couple of weeks before he was born at 18 months I must say that the cat's name was not Tiddles his name was Alex fortunately it might have been embarrassing for my son otherwise at 18 months my son advanced my campaign to a dog add a dog to the household by plaintively repeating I want a doggy until his father gave in then on to we had a succession of creatures dogs cats gerbils hamsters rabbits skinny fish guinea pigs fish daygrews and a horse pets contribute I believe to our mental and physical wellbeing but other than a feral tom kitten when we first lived in air who rightly decided that it might be a smart move to get himself adopted by us we choose to bring those pets into our lives and as Christine Grahame said we have responsibilities to ensure that the animal has the appropriate environment has the necessary exercise the appropriate diet and in many cases the companionship of other animals of its own species because many animals are unhappy without the companionship of their own species and apart from my fractured pelvis my daughter's broken finger and my friend's fractured vertebra all attributable to Twix the horse I am convinced that pets have and continue to make a positive contribution to my family's health my children will resilient to viruses and bacteria and lost little time off school and I attribute that to three things one is probably genetic the second is the fact that they were breastfed and the third being that they were we had pets because exposure to pets here and worse I'm sure helped prime their immune systems a little dirt after all does do no harm and pets also helped to introduce our children to the difficult issues in like death somewhere at home I still have the daughter of my younger son aged about seven at the time which he had written a little illustrated story but what he had done at the weekend and one entry contains a very detailed illustration of the death bed scene of the little feral kitten who adopted us a few years previously earlier my mother on the other hand will celebrate her 90th birthday next month and my father in his late 80s they insist on looking after our little dog Sylvia nanny we bought them for ourselves to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary and that's how they are so named but my parents look after them insist on looking after them when we write at work or away in locations which are not pet friendly people at their time of life sometimes feel that they have ceased to have a positive role in their families lives but my parents know that they continue to make an important contribution to our and our dogs lives long after their grandchildren have grown up and in addition to that my parents both had serious health issues in their 60s indeed my mother was not expected to live after an operation that she underwent had gone seriously wrong but both managed to pull through thanks I am certain in part and I'm sure in my mother's case her consultant actually commented on this it was due to have a lifetime of taking regular exercise and that included daily walking of the dogs and I'm sure that dogs actually helped to save my mother's life when she was 65 so despite the vets fees the broken bones the hairs on the carpet and indeed the grief we feel when they finally leave us pets can contribute so much to the lives of their owners that they are indeed well worth today's motion of celebration but most of all they are worth us taking our ownership of them very responsibly thank you very much and I now call Stuart Stevenson to be followed by Malcolm Chisholm thank you Presiding Officer and I congratulate Christine Graham both on securing the debate and arranging the spectacularly interesting and engaging display that we have in two locations in Hollywood I'm slightly worried that Malcolm and Donald my two cats are going to hold me to account for putting their photograph in without their permission but I guess I'll just need to live with that Winston Churchill as on so many other subjects said something to say on the subject of animals he said that dogs look up to us cats look down upon us but pigs are our equal he was a great fan of pigs I am clearly with millions of others a lower form of human human being bottom of the pecking hoarder certainly in our house and of course when Christine Graham said we're a wee bit higher up the evolutionary scale I'm not sure she's correct uh while the fruit fly has eight chromosomes uh man has 46 but her mac crabs of 254 uh the ophobio glosum ffern has two 768 but more fundamentally the oxytrisha trefalux which is a protozoan animal has 15600 chromosomes 2000 copies of each of them in a single cell perhaps that animal is so intelligent it doesn't engage with us we will never know it's not interested in the lower form of being that we are now the motion does talk about farmed animals and wild creatures and I don't think anybody's said much about wild creatures so far so I want to say just a few things about that where I live we've got badgers about 400 meters away foxes rodea we've had 20 of those at one time in the garden weasels I've seen a weasel drag a young rabbit about 10 times its size back to eat and of course that interloper that the normans brought about a thousand years ago rabbits and of course in the country we've also lots of farmed animals of one sort another every one of those farmed animals wild animals and our companion animals occupy important ecological niches and interact with each other uh alec ferguson quite rightly referred to hearing dogs and of course we've got dogs that help those without sight and we have dogs that look after people with failing mental faculties as well and keep them from danger so the animals are a very important part of many people's lives the widowed or deserted can have long conversations with our companions maintaining mental alertness and the daily walk with a dog maintains physical fitness in many of our older people a well cared well regarded animal companion who has been trained to understand proper relationships with humans boisterous yes biting no can gain just as we do we protect them from hunger disease debility and danger but we have duties to them as well we have to keep the sheep from the goats zikio 3417 makes reference to that in the bible many many years ago but i want to just say a word or two about one particular thing and that is our duty to neuter our cats and i speak in connection with the Scottish wildcat in particular because it's our failure to adequately neuter a higher proportion of our cats that is diluting our stock of Scottish wildcats to the point where there are fewer of them left that appear bred than even the threatened Bengal tiger let me just finally close by illustrating one business lady's attitude to her animals halfway between here and my home in Bamshire there is Peggy Scott's restaurant on the A90 few people unless they've talked to the owner will realise Don Scott always names her succession of businesses after her pets so Peggy Scott is actually a wee dug and he has his own restaurant thank you very much and now call Malcolm Chisholm Presiding Officer I'd like to congratulate Christine Grahame on bringing forward the motion although I do feel slightly uneasy following a farmer and four members who obviously have a massive experience of pets and other animals I myself have never owned a pet and have no background in relation to animals at all but I was struck by two two things in the motion firstly the positive role of pets in the lives of children and adults and I've certainly seen that just in recent years with my grandchildren and secondly the best possible welfare standards obviously I've always been concerned about preventing suffering to animals but many constituents also have written to me about those matters and I want to start by talking about that before talking briefly about adults and children and the positive role of pets in their lives now the constituents and the cabinet secretary will know because I've written to him about most of these matters have approached me about puppy farming about the sale of cats online about snares about wild animals and circuses and about CCTV and slaughterhouses that's all certainly within the last few months I think that last point reminds us that for most people animals cannot be seen as equivalent to human beings I respect obviously those who are vegetarians and who don't want to kill animals in any circumstances but for most of us we accept that we can't eat animals but clearly cruelty to them must always be avoided and we must always ensure that the best possible welfare standards are enforced. If I can just take the example of puppy farming about which I received a letter from the cabinet secretary I think just within the last few days I noted the briefing we got from one kind asking for a review of pet vending legislation and that does seem to me to be required as they say without a change in legislating quoting one kind this kind of farming which contributes all of the which contradicts all of the guiding principles of good animal welfare would perhaps continue as a profitable enterprise at the expense of animals life so I hope that that will be taken on board. Other issues are perhaps more tricky for the government I've noticed the government can't really make up its mind about wild animal and circuses but certainly some of my constituents have made up their minds about that and say that should be put a stop to. Snares I know is also controversial although it seems to me that we're one of the few European countries to allow it so I would support my constituents who want an end to that and it seems to me we should also have 24-hour security cameras and avatars I can't really see any argument against that now clearly the government has taken action as we remembered in the debate last week on microchipping at least it's proposed that and I imagine it will go ahead of that so that's an important animal welfare measure for dogs but as last week's debate reminded us there is also the issue of animals who behave in an antisocial way and we don't need to repeat the argument from last week but clearly we have to take action where animals are behaving in an antisocial way just as we do with human beings who are behaving similarly. Now only one minute left for the positive role of pets in the lives of children and adults it could have been mentioned in the debate in Loneliness yesterday because for that debate I read some research which was fairly extensive which showed that adults living alone without a pet were significantly lonelier than those living with one but let's just focus on children at the end because in a kind of way this is what has had a profound effect on my attitude towards animals in general and pets in particular because I've seen particularly the way in which my oldest granddaughter loves, cares and empathise with cats in general and her own cat in particular and that has really had quite a profound effect on me and has made me think about the very positive role that animals play in the lives of children mainly real animals but of course there's also animal toys there's also the fact that you can't avoid that animals are massively important in children's literature so it seems to me that although it is possible to love animals and not human beings in general a positive and caring attitude to animals will correlate with and encourage a positive and caring attitude towards human beings so I think that that is a very important dimension of this although clearly we must always remember that animals are different from human beings and we must respect animals for what they are many thanks and I now invite Richard Lochhead to respond to the debate cabinet secretary in around seven minutes please thank you firstly I want to thank my colleague Christon Graham for proposing today's motion and of course other colleagues as well who have contributed so ably to the debate this afternoon and I want to also welcome to the Parliament many members of the cross-party group and indeed our four-legged friends Royal, Briar and Kira who understand her in the gallery as well and perhaps we'll get a personal tour of the Parliament for Mr Q later on today and they can catch up for a bowl of water or something later also like Christon Graham I congratulate everyone who's contributed to the celebrating Scotland's animal week stalls that are in parliaments this week and anyone who's not the chance to go along of course we should do that I did not have the opportunity to submit a photograph and never get around to doing that unfortunately but I'll certainly update my cats back home that we were paying tribute to them today in parliaments and of course for the first time in many many decades I remembered Timothy the tortoise who was my first pet when I was a child so that brought back memories today as well but indeed all the anecdotes and stories have heard from various members today it does remind us that it is important and of course sometimes humbling to remember the many benefits that we do obtain from our relationship with animals and Christine and the cross-party group for animal welfare do sterling work to promote discussion information sharing and awareness raising of animal welfare issues of course ably supported by one kind and others so while this week's events are of course upbeat as we've just heard from many of the contributions most of the issues that the group do deal with are anything but animals are hugely important to Scotland for a range of reasons and the cross-party group has a critical role in reminding Parliament of our responsibility to ensure that they are properly looked after for example Scotland's animals helped to maintain and enhance a world famous landscapes in this country and Stuart Stevens and others refer to that and carefully managed grazing by cattle and sheep helps to maintain the the vast upland environment we have in this country to ensure a rich diversity of plants and wildlife and wild animals can also play a part in shaping landscape for example beavers recently the subject of a successful reintroduction trial in Scotland and they can have a beneficial effect by creating wetlands increasing biodiversity and even minimizing floods so when managed responsibly Scotland's animals contribute to a very healthy tourism sector a world-renowned livestock industry and a beautiful country for the people of Scotland to live and work in as well but of course many many people in Scotland as we have heard benefit from animals on a much more personal level not least the many pet owners that drive companionship and in some cases purpose from their animals there is growing evidence that animals have a therapeutic benefit for people's physical mental well-being and I think Elaine Murray and others refer to that including also helping people even with psychiatric illnesses as well and we I think that was reflected many members contributions the well-being benefits that companionship can bring more work is needed to improve our knowledge of this area however from studies to data appears that when employed in the correct manner and targeted the appropriate user group animals can contribute significantly to our well-being and quality of life and the national charity pets therapy already provide therapeutic visits from volunteers with their pet dogs and cats to places such as hospitals hospices nursing and care homes and special needs schools and of course we should also pay tribute to the thousands of volunteers who help animal welfare charities as well sure Christine Graham I think it'd be helpful if I may to add to that catalogue of helpful animals is in the prisons in Pullman prison the dog's trust have rescued staffy terriers which are get a bad reputation that's not deserved and there these young men actually care for them and they write diaries young men who would not bother to write about anything else and care for them until they found new homes cabinet secretary yeah that's a very good example indeed across these islands there are over 5000 active pets of therapy dogs and a small number of cats working to bring the opportunity to stroke hold and talk to a calm and friendly animal bringing that benefit to thousands of people in need of an emotional lift that sometimes only animal companionship can bring so there is of course no doubt of the huge benefits particularly of guide dogs the 520 blind or partial sighted owners in Scotland or indeed of hearing dogs for the death and I think it was perhaps alex vergason mentioned hearing dogs as well so the service that these dogs provide is impressive and of course crucial very crucial to many people's quality of life however perhaps even more remarkable is a recent small trial in Scotland of dogs as helpers to dementia patients by Alzheimer's Scotland and others the dogs helped with the daily routine reminding people to take medicines improved owners confidence helped them to socialise and offered reassurance in unfamiliar environments so that pilot was particularly successful and now a national programme of matching of dogs to people with dementia is now being rolled out across the country so that's good news indeed. Individuals however an individual responsibility is very very important in this debate is very important for the welfare of all these animals that provide all these benefits and animal welfare is immensely important to the people of Scotland and of course the government takes that very very seriously. The main legal provision for animal welfare in Scotland lies in the animal health and welfare Scotland act of 2006 which covers the welfare of all protected animals kept by people and as well as making the ill treatment of animals in the fence the act prevent places a clear duty of care and anyone responsible for an animal. There is of course much more specific legislation whole range of areas the breeding of dogs the sale of pets animal boarding performing animals zoo animals farm animals and their humane slaughter as well and some of that legislation is quite new for example the welfare of animals at time of killing Scotland regulations 2012 it is the first and currently only legislation across these islands that implements e rules on welfare at killing that come into force in the first of January 2013 so that is an issue we are taking seriously and again members mentioned that issue. Of course it's in the motive topic that some people would rather not think about however it is important and inevitable in a country with an outstanding reputation for producing high quality meat from our livestock with our excellent reputation for high health and welfare that it's inevitable that we have to take these debates very very seriously in Scotland. So that legislation also maintains Scotland's pre-existing higher welfare at slaughter standards we are we do benefit in this country from these higher welfare slaughter standards we should bear that in mind which of course helps Scotland to beat the forefront of animal welfare. I do recognise as many members mentioned that there are some areas where animal welfare legislation does need updated. I'm acutely aware that the pet animals act 1951 referred to by Christine Grahame and others does not include provisions for modern welfare issues such as internet sales or exotic pets. I'm also aware of the fact that we currently only have welfare legislation for the breeding of dogs leaving the breeding of other pet animals currently unregulated. So my officials have been meeting with representatives of the pet industry in recent months to gather initial views on these welfare issues and how they can be tackled and I urge one kind and parliamentary colleagues to note that we are already working on an initial review of these issues and options relating to pet animals. We will be discussing this matter further in the weeks and months ahead and of course other issues have just been consulted upon such as responsible dog ownership which Malcolm Chisholm and others referred to as well and the whole issue of microchipping and some other issues. I can tell the chamber there's been 2,500 responses to that consultation. That's a huge number and illustrates the strength of feeling over animal welfare issues and responsible dog ownership in this country. There's a whole lot of issues to take forward. We also have to recognise the role that animal welfare charities are playing in terms of education. The Scottish SPCA provides an excellent free prevention through education programme to Scotland's children in particular, encouraging them to treat animals with compassion and respect. As I reach a conclusion, I just want to say that we are very fortunate in this country that we do have so many people willing to donate time and money to help improve animal welfare. I think that we should all be proud to live in such a caring country. Animals are of course sentient beings as was discussed and should be given respect, care and compassion. We cannot ignore their huge contribution to people and their environment and, of course, it's right that we do celebrate that. Again, I congratulate Christine Grahame on this motion and all the efforts that everyone has put in to make sure that we do that in Parliament this week. I urge us all to continue to work together to ensure that we do have the best possible animal welfare standards in Scotland. Thank you very much Cabinet Secretary. That concludes Christine Grahame's debate on animal rights and human responsibilities and I now suspend this meeting of Parliament until 2.30pm.


That's the theme from the Sears Radio Theatre. Tonight is a program of adventure with Howard Duff as your host. Here's a preview. I've been doing some detective work on Sutherland and his drug therapy program. Have you found out anything? Some. Nothing concrete yet. You sound like you're expecting something. I am. I can't tell you about it just yet. The Sears Radio Theatre will begin after this message from your local station. Our story takes place in a small quiet town along the Pacific Northwest coast. Nothing much happens here. That is not until one night late in the year. That was the night that Sheriff Jake Barnes would never forget. It all started one November morning. Tim Carver and his son are heading toward the river to do some fishing. Suddenly a man steps out from the bushes blocking the road. Tim finds himself looking into the barrel of a rifle. Hey, what's the trouble, mister? Can't you read? The sign says no trespassing. I'll never notice that sign before. I've been using this road for years. But you won't be using it anymore. This ranch belongs to me now and I don't want anyone on my land. Oh, my boy and I just want to do a little fishing. We won't disturb nothing. You'll have to fish someplace else, not get out. Okay, okay, we're going. But you'll hear about this. Tim returns to town and angrily tells the sheriff what happened. Must be some misunderstanding with Sheriff Franks and he decides to pay the man a visit. Little does Jake Barnes know that his visit will provoke a chain of events that will change his life. And that's only the beginning of our story. A new adventure in radio listening. Five nights of exceptional entertainment every week. Brought to you in Elliott Lewis production of The Sears Radio Theater. Our story, The Value of a Hunch by Ann Heath. Our star, Vic Perron. The Sears Radio Theater is brought to you by Sears Roblox and Company. Sears, where America shops for value. There's an unwritten law in this part of the country that its abundant natural resources are to be shared by everyone. Neighbors being chased away at gunpoint is not a usual occurrence. Who is this newcomer and what could he be protecting? I've been sheriff of this county for 15 years. I was proud of the low crime rate. It's for violence.  One night they let some cattle out too, but the next day they helped round them up. There were no hard feelings. The hostile way this new fellow was acting reminded me of big city ways. Such ways had no place in these parts. I figured this stranger had listened to reason once he understood our local custom. And I hadn't met John Sutherland. Morning. You, uh, Mr. Sutherland? Yes, I am. My name's Jake Barnes. I'm the sheriff hereabouts. What brings you out this way, Sheriff? Anything wrong? No, no, nothing serious. Just a little misunderstanding. Misunderstanding? I'm told Tim Carver and his boy were out your way this morning. There was a man, yes. And you refused to let him go to the river to fish? I did. This is private land, Sheriff. Indeed it is. But you see, folks around here have been using that road for a long time. The river's a mighty good place to fish for salmon. I'm sure there are other places. Yes, but that's not quite the point. You see, Mr. Sutherland, all the ranchers around here allow the local boys to fish the streams that run through their property. No one has ever refused access to the river before. What the other ranchers do is their business. I have the right to refuse access to anyone. Now, don't get heated up. I didn't come here to argue your right to do as you see fit. I just thought if you understood how we do things around here... Look, Sheriff, I have a good reason for not wanting people coming onto the ranch. Oh? I didn't want to tell anyone, at least not right away. I didn't want people to get the wrong impression. But I guess you have a right to know. Know what? You see, Sheriff, I'm using the ranch as a base for my drug rehabilitation program. Drug rehabilitation? I've heard of those places. And you could see why it's important that the inhabitants not be disturbed. Uh, those men over there, are they some of the, uh, inhabitants? Uh, yes, yes, they are. And they're a bit uncomfortable around strangers. I see. Well, I guess you do have a special reason for wanting your privacy, huh? I'll tell everybody to fish further downriver. Thank you, Sheriff. See you in here. Goodbye. Something about Sutherland didn't set right with me. His eyes were cold and cruel. And his hair was too close cropped even for my taste. And those two men lurking in the shadows bothered me. They must have all gone to the same barber. I'd seen newspaper photographs of some people in California who had severe haircuts just like that. They were part of a group that began for the purpose of drug rehabilitation, but soon turned into a violent cult. Police found a huge stockpile of arms at the organization's headquarters. Maybe this was a splinter group. Last thing I wanted in my county. Oh, I'm chilled at the bone. Me too. This nighttime steak out just ain't my cup of tea. You know we've been on this hill every night for a week? Nothing's happened. Except for those flashing lights down there. Yeah, them are kind of weird. What could they be doing in the middle of the night? No, I don't know. Maybe those junkies are afraid of the dark. Hey, it's starting to rain.  Let's move in closer and we can see what they're up to down there. Jake told us to stay out of sight. Nobody will see us in the dark. Come on, follow me. Okay. Just remember whose ID this was. Help me. I'm stuck in this here dang hole. Can't you watch where you're going, Joe? There. All right, I'll stick close to me. Thank you. Hey, look at this. At what? Here on the ground. Tire tracks. Hey, they were huge. What could make tracks that size? Nothing I've ever seen. We must be in the land of the giants. You know, it sounds like those Dovermans we saw through the binoculars. Let's get out of here. Yeah, I'm right behind you. That's a bull. He's coming after us. Run for your life. I thought we'd never make it back up here. We could have been killed. Let's make our report and go home where it's dry and warm. My deputies weren't happy with their assignments, but what they told me about the lights, the dogs, and those mysterious tire tracks, it wasn't up to convince me that Sutherland and his group were up to something. I was afraid that something involved guns. The next day I decided to do some looking around on my own from the air. But now, believing that his town and the people who live around it are threatened, he becomes a man with a purpose. But single-minded determination, he begins his investigation. Don't be too sure. Pretty skittish. What is it you're looking for? I know exactly, but I got a hunch we'll find something. A couple of trucks half hidden behind those trees. They look like Army surplus trucks. What would those folks be doing with Army trucks? That's a question, Charlie, that I don't yet know how to answer. I joined my deputies at the lookout point above the ranch. I wanted to see for myself what was going on. For a while, things were quiet. Then we saw Sutherland's jeep leave and head south toward the coast. Now, where could he be going at that hour? I decided to follow him and find out. I took Joe along. He was still pretty green, and I figured to give him a few pointers.   Look, Sheriff, the jeeps are turning off. Yeah. He's pulling into the beachfront market. Maybe he's forgotten my milk. That's funny. What? He's going into a phone booth. Now, why would he come all this way to make a call? Don't he have a phone at home? He's got one. I checked it out yesterday. It's an unlisted number. He's sure been in there a long time. Here, come. Get out. He's climbing back in the jeep. Get out. I will. You don't want him to see us. He's heading back to the ranch. Let's go check out that phone booth. The phone booth? Evidence. Oh, evidence. What do you make of this? Well, them look like the rolls you put coins in when you go to the bank. It's just what they are. And these are the porter's size, and they're both empty. Who is that guy calling, the Kremlin? Wouldn't surprise me. Come on. Let's get back to the car. Partitious long-distance phone calls seemed to fit in with my hunch. But I needed something more conclusive. The next night, Sutherland again left the ranch. I followed along this time. And this time, he didn't stop at the beachfront market. About five miles further around, he turned off and headed west toward the beach. I drove onto a bluff above a secluded cove and watched as the jeep crawled over the sand and came to a stop. For a while, I sat in the darkness, listening to the sound of the waves rolling on shore. I thought I saw a light blink from somewhere off the coast. Yeah, there it was again. The jeep answered the signal. So that's where those guns were coming from. You could find out where they were being hidden. All the lights had gone out. I made my way on foot down the hill. I came to a large barn. My heart was pounding as I crept out. My heart was pounding as I crept along its side. Suddenly, I heard a noise that made my skin crawl. The dobermans. I'd forgotten all about them. I froze holding my breath. I just hoped they hadn't noticed me. And after what seemed like an hour, I heard the sound of keen iron snoring. I never knew it could be so appealing. I stole back to my car. I'd have to find a way to deal with those guard dogs. The next morning, I drove out to the Seabreeze Kennel. The owner, Ned Pierce, used to train police dogs. The dobermans, you say? Yeah, yeah, two of them. Well, they're tough customers. They make nice enough pets, but when they're trained to attack dogs, they're as fierce as starving wolves. Well, is there any way to ward off an attack? Not unless you shoot him. I don't want to do that. Isn't there any way to just keep him quiet for a while? Oh, I see what you mean. Well, yeah, well, there's something you could use, but you've got to know how to handle it. What's that? You heard of a tranquilizer gun? Well, sure, they use them to knock out wild animals. Well, they're working dogs, too. A smaller dose, of course. Oh, word of warning. Yeah?  So you aim careful, and you don't miss, because you're going to have a second chance. And with the tranquilizer gun, I returned to the ranch. It was a cold wind blowing from the north. But once I was thankful for it, it had helped muffle any sounds I made. I reached the corner of the barn and peeked cautiously into the yard. And they were lying down, but awake. I ducked back behind the barn and loaded my gun. The first dog would be easy, but could I reload in time to get the second one? I picked up a loose board and leaned it against the barn just in case. My hand shook a little as I took aim. He can't figure out what hit him. He's staggering. He's going down. Oh, the other one spotted me. Here he comes. There's no time to reload the board. Sorry, fella. They hated to do that, but it was you or me. On closer inspection, I saw that my eyes had fooled me. They weren't bales, but wooden crates. And they were stacked as high as the ceiling. There was something written on them. I struck another match and moved closer. A-P-P-P. Very clever. I climbed up on one of the crates and opened it. It's sure that I'd find weapons inside. It was empty. They were all empty. Suddenly, I heard voices outside. I dropped behind a pile of crates just as two men entered the barn behind a flashlight. Watchdogs. One's out like a light and the other one's probably off chasing rabbits. Oh, the boy should have gotten a couple of months from the pound. Kind of treated bad. It'd be a lot meaner than those two overfed primidonnas. Anyway, shine that light over here, will you? Yeah. I can't find the switch. Okay, I got it. Everything seems all right in here. We're going to have to move some of these crates. What for? Make room for the next shipment. Oh, yeah. More apples coming. Yeah. Let's finish the rounds at 30 and I'm bush. Hey, wait a minute. What's the matter? Thought I heard something move. I don't hear nothing. Came from over there behind those crates. Yeah, give me the flashlight. Anything? I'm not sure. What's the matter? You've never seen a bat before? Well, you surprised me. That's all. Sure, sure. All right, come on. Let's go. No escape. I waited until the men's footsteps disappeared and then hightailed it back to my car. I'd been disappointed at not finding the guns but I might have stumbled on something even better. Another shipment, they said. The thought of nabbing those do-gooders red-handed warmed me all the way back to town. Heard in that barn gives him something to go on. It's a lead, but to where? Without some hard evidence, his hunch will remain just that. Nothing but a hunch. I've never been good at waiting, for something like a shipment of guns. To help pass the time, I went fishing with my friend Tim Carver. He found a spot about a mile downstream from Sutherland's place where the salmon were plentiful. Under a threatening sky, we put on our waders and went out into the river. Last week, my boy and I caught a big one right here in this spot. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't fish for salmon, especially since Mary left. Kinda helps ease the loneliness. Yeah? Then it's something I can share with my son. Oh, it's a relaxation all right. I just wish I didn't have things on my mind so I could enjoy it more. What's eating you? Yeah, I've been doing some detective work on Sutherland and his drug therapy program. Have you found out anything? Some. Nothing concrete yet. You sound like you're expecting something. I am, Tim, but I can't tell you about it just yet. Well, what makes you so sure those folks aren't what they claim to be? There have been a few too many strange things going on at that ranch. They got a strong hunch they're connected with that cult that was causing all the trouble down in California. They might even be in Cahoots with some terrorist. Oh, now hold on, Jake. We never had anything like that around here. And that is what worries me. I admit Sutherland is not the friendliest guy I ever met, but that don't mean he's a radical. Well, we'll see about that, Tim. We'll see. Hey, look. What's that red thing floating downstream? Looks like... like an apple. Here comes some more. Now, where do you suppose they're coming from? Look up there. A little ways upstream from us, partially hidden behind some saplings, was a man. He had one of those short haircuts. Why is he staring at us? You there! What are you doing? Why won't he answer? I don't like his looks, Jake. Me neither. I think I'll go have a talk with him. I started waiting upstream. Before I could get too close, the inhabitant, that's what he was all right, slowly raised a rifle and pointed it at me. We faced each other for a moment. Then the man suddenly turned and disappeared through the underbrush. By the time I climbed up onto the bank, he was gone. He'd left his jacket behind. I bent down and picked it up. It was an army field jacket that camouflaged the rioting. A little further on, I found some tired tracks in the grass. Nearby, there were a bunch of apple crates scattered on the ground. Most of them were still full of fruit. Under ordinary circumstances, I'd have brought that man in, but this time I let him go. I was pretty sure he hadn't recognized me and I didn't want to jeopardize that shipment. I kept the jacket as evidence. When I returned to town, I was surprised to see Sutherland's jeep in front of my office. He was waiting for me inside. Right away, I could tell this wasn't going to be a friendly visit. And then I saw the barn board, the one I'd used on that dog. He was killed last night. I want you to find out who did it. Killed? I paid $1,000 for those dogs. Their training alone cost half that much. Now, I want to know who's responsible.  I don't know one of them who'd do a thing like that. Well, I don't know anyone either.  Maybe he had a reason. What would that be? Whoever killed that dog did it because he didn't want to be discovered. He couldn't have been a burglar. Why not? How much could he carry on foot? I think the man who killed my dog was there to spy on us. Spy on you? Why? Because some people think we're freaks, weirdos. Sutherland, I think you're on the wrong track. I can't believe anyone would want to... We have nothing to hide, but I won't be spied upon. I'm going to instruct my men to shoot any intruder on sight. You can't do that. I can and I will, Sheriff. Unless you find whoever killed my dog and when you do, I want to see him. He won't be easy to track down. Then you better get started. Good day, Sheriff. If Sutherland was guilty of any crime, he sure didn't act like it. He was a tough one. But, despite his convincing bluff, I was more sure than ever that he did have something to hide. A week passed, and nothing happened. I began to fear Sutherland had been spooked into calling off the shipment. The evidence so far added up to nothing without the guns themselves. I had to find a way to clear the way for that shipment. Then I got an idea. On the premise that I was still tracking the culprit who killed that doberman, I drove out to the ranch to investigate. You haven't found that killer yet? No, not yet. You want that man found, Sheriff? I'll find him. I'll look around a bit if you don't mind. Maybe find some clues. I'll go with you. Where did you say that dog was killed? It was over by the barn. That big one over there? Yeah. Follow me. I found right here. I don't see any signs of his struggle. Why should there be? That dog didn't have a chance. Looks like there's still some blood on the ground. Here's something. What is it? Looks like your dog got a piece of that guy before he died. Here's a scrap of cloth that seems to be torn. Let me see that. It's a funny kind of material, isn't it? It's like camouflage. It is camouflage. Does that mean anything to you? I'm afraid it does. Didn't I see one of your people wearing a jacket like that? Yeah. Luke. He hasn't been wearing it lately. Well, I think we may have found your man. You want me to take him in? No. I'll deal with him myself. Termination to uncover this cult or whatever it was had caused me to do something I'd never done before. I had implicated an innocent man. And for an act I myself had committed. I consoled myself with the thought that Luke, along with his friends, would soon be accused of a far bigger crime. Because now, that shipment would surely go through. On Thanksgiving Eve, Sutherland's ranch was still under 24-hour surveillance. Tim's boy was spending the holiday with his mother, so he invited me and my deputies to share a turkey with him. We ate on rotating shippers. Two of us sitting down at the table while the other kept watch from the bluff overlooking the ocean. It was Joe's turn, as look out. More turkey, Jay? No, thanks, Tim. How about you, Bill? I'll have some more. Your cookie's not half bad. Thanks for the compliment. Jake, there's something I gotta say to you. What is it? You've been my friend for years. I've always respected you for having more good sense than most men. But I think you're carrying this surveillance business too far. I don't think so, Tim. I gotta play out my hunch. I've grown up by now. I hate to say this, Jake, but Joe and I aren't getting any tired of hiding in the bushes for hours shivering our tails off and getting soaked to the bone. All because of one of your hunches. Can't you see that we're getting close? Now, that shipment will be arriving any day now. And when it does, our trap is ready to spring. What trap? You didn't know as well as I do. We're under manned, not to mention underpaid. What if you say is true? Pretty soon we're gonna be outgunned to boot. I've alerted the Coast Guard. And the SWAT team is on non-drinking status. They're ready for action when I give the signal. The SWAT team? Jake, you've been watching too many cop shows on TV. From now on, this operation will be referred to as Code Apple. It's time I relieve Joe. He'll be getting hungry by now. I've seen it! I've seen it! Take it easy, Joe. I've seen the signal! Where? Off the coast, about two miles out. Here's National Automotive Sale. 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And durable, this dishwasher-safe stoneware exists, chipping, cracking or fading even when exposed to your oven freezer or microwave oven. Enhance your table with these pretty strawberries from Sears. Strawberries! This stoneware with hand-painted strawberries! At most larger Sears retail stores. Here's the concluding act of the value of a hunch. Joe had brought the news I'd been waiting for. A adrenaline pumping I jumped up from the table. I sent Bill to watch the ranch while Joe and I returned to the lookout post on the bluff. Light rain began to fall as we stared out over the bleak sea. And then, peering through the dark, I saw it, the faint silhouette of a large ship offshore. There she is, Joe. How big is she? Here, look for yourself. I can't quite focus. There, there, I see her. Wow, she's big! Looks like a taller. Those guys must be starting an army. What do you suppose they aim to do? I don't know. All I know is we gotta stop them. That must be Bill. This is 22 Baker, 43. Charlie, 40? Thought you'd want to know, Sutherland just left the ranch. Which way was he headed? South, and he was hightailing it. Okay. Sit tight till I give the word. Right. There's one more thing. What's that? I'm sorry about what I said. You had a right to speak your mind. After all this is over, I'll buy you a beer. Hell, I'll buy you a whole six pack. Lock up there. Thanks. 10-4. I radioed the Coast Guard to stand by. Now I was faced with a big decision. To order in the troops or to wait. I knew Sutherland was clever and I knew he was cautious. I gambled that he'd ordered a heat run to see if they were being watched by police. I just prayed I was right. Joe and I kept watch through the night. Toward midnight, the rain lit up and the fog began to close in. We pulled blankets around us and listened to a lone fog horn as it sounded its melancholy warning. The steady rhythm of the waves breaking on shore seemed to repeat. You've made a mistake. Mistake. I had nightmare visions of apple crates filled with guns and ammunition slipping through my fingers. The next morning, I woke with a start. I didn't know when I'd fallen asleep. Today it was gray and unforgiving. Chef? What time is it? Almost 6.30. How long was I out? I don't know. I fell asleep too. You what? Did I do something wrong, sir? Give me those binoculars. I know they're here somewhere. Oh, here they are under the blanket. Come here. I can't see a thing. They must have pulled out during the night. I just hope we didn't miss the boat last night. No pun intended. Well, I'm a real hot sleeper. I would have heard if anything had gone on down there. I doubt it, Joe. Those waves are loud enough to cover any noise. And I'll wager those crooks know how to work fast and quiet. I still think I would have heard them. You have no choice now but to wait. We'll know by tonight. We'll know by the following day. And that night, Bill joined us on the bluff. Things were quiet. Too quiet. Then along about 10 o'clock, we noticed some activity down on the beach. I started breathing a whole lot easier. Joe spotted the ship again. She had no lights on. Then we saw something we've never seen in this part of the country. Hey. What's that? Where? Down there on the beach. See? It's moving toward the water. Looks like one of those landing crafts the army used during the war. I'll be darned. It's an amphibian. So that's the giant that made those tracks we saw that night near the ranch. This is some operation, boys. Hey, looky. There's Southern a sheep. Hand me the phone. This is 22 Baker 43 calling Coast Guard. And you read me. Affirmative, 10-5. Code Apple is a go. How soon can you get the boats and choppers here? I need a 10-20, Sheriff. Our CP is on a bluff above Seal Cove. The party's about to start on the beach right below us. The boats are heading out now. I can have the choppers there in five minutes. Well, don't move in until you see my signal flare. We'll be watching for it. 10-4. Down below, dark figures began darting around as the amphibian brought in its load. Apple creates dozens of them. The men started unloading and carrying the crates to the waiting army trucks. Sheriff, are we going to move in? No, no, no. Not yet. But they're going to get away? No, they won't. Not this time. An unexpected thing happened. As one of the men lifted a crate onto the truck, he lost his grip and it fell, spilling its contents onto the sand. I squinted through the binoculars. What I saw was not what I expected. Strawl there on the beach were not weapons, but neat cardboard packages wrapped in plastic. All at once it dawned on me. Sutherland was running a drug program all right, but the therapy was profit. He was smuggling the stuff. This really is big. Get ready, boys. I'm sending up the flare. Come on. Shouldn't we wait for the others? They'll be right behind us. Let's go. The wardens will be moving operations after this run. All the way, too. It's a secret. Most of them trust anybody. Police! You're under arrest? Anybody? Knock it off. Who's playing games? This is no game. This is a bust. Hey, they really are cops. Let them help! 12 suspects and confiscated over $30 million worth of high-grade marijuana. The kind of stuff headed for ski resorts and football stadiums. I found out later we'd broken up the largest drug smuggling ring in the region's history. But at the time I couldn't fully savor the capture. During the confusion, Sutherland had escaped. On the way back to town after the bust, he had to pick up a hitchhiker. He was typical of the hippie types that seemed to be attracted to our area. Unkempt, wearing dirty threadbare clothes and hiking shoes. He had on a floppy hat which hit his face as he got into the car. You know, you really shouldn't be hitching rides, especially late at night. It would be dangerous. It wasn't exactly the talkative kind. One other thing about him wasn't typical. His hair. I didn't see any below that hat. Were you headed? Self. I'm headed self. Even in a whisper I recognized my boys. I decided to play along for a while. Well, I'll take you as far as I'm going. You care for a cigarette? No thanks. I'm trying to quit myself. I think I'll have me an apple instead. Want one? No reply. I reached under the seat for an apple and I took my first bite. I turned to see a 38 pointed at my head.  Take me to San Francisco. Great, I can't do that.  I don't think you will. Unless you want to get shot yourself. Huh? You see, I rigged up a little device for occasions like this. When I reached for that apple, I flipped the switch. Right now there's a gun somewhere in this car and it's pointed in your direction. All I have to do is press a button with my foot. How do I know you're not lying? You don't. You want to take that chance? You win. This isn't worth getting killed over. I'll take the gun. That's better. Now we can both enjoy the ride. Tell me, Sheriff, was there really a gun on me? You're not the only one who can run a good bluff, my friend. I should have known. Where are you taking me? To your new living quarters? You like my jail. It's real cozy. And just to make you feel at home, I'll make sure you have plenty of apples. Yes, sir. An apple a day for a lifetime. Our policy is satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. Sears where America shops for value. The value of a hunch was written by Anne Heath, produced and directed by Fletcher Markle. Your host was Howard Duff. Our star was Vic Perron. Featured in the cast were Marvin Miller, Jack Krushen, Stephen Markle, Jack Carroll, Dawes Butler, and Howard Culver. The music for Sears Radio Theater was composed and conducted by Nelson Riddle. This is Art Gilmore speaking. Associate director of Sears Radio Theater is Ken McManus. Sound effects were created by Bud Tollefson. Mark Trella is production supervisor and the recording engineers are Joe Wachter and Hal McDonald. The Elliott Lewis production of Sears Radio Theater is a presentation of CDI. Next Monday's Sears Radio Theater will be a story of the West with Lorne Green as your host. Let's listen. Terrible. They shoot everybody. The patches.  What's your name? Lopez, me Colonel. They'll be sure and tune in next Monday to the Sears Radio Theater. Entertainment with great music and more. People like Otis Thomas and Laurie Allen on KMLX FM, St. Louis. KMLX FM. The Sandinista supported junta in Nicaragua may take moves to have former president Samosa extradited. This is John Bohannon reporting on the CBS Radio Network. There's been some talk that the new regime in Nicaragua will ask the United States to help in returning Samosa to face a number of charges including misappropriation of money. George Natanson has the latest. As the present extradition treaty between Nicaragua and the United States does not take into account political crimes the sources here say the Nicaraguan request to extradite Samosa would be based on fraud and misappropriation of public funds. According to reliable sources the junta is building a strong case against the former dictator. In a recent statement, Sergio Ramirez nominal leader of the five member junta said that proof has been found that the Nicaraguan central bank issued checks to Samosa directly or to persons close to him in varying amounts totaling more than 8 million dollars. The checks were drawn from public institution accounts and dated just prior to Samosa being thrown out of office. Ramirez said the checks were intercepted and have been returned to Nicaragua. George Natanson for CBS News in Managua. Samosa had been living in Exile in Miami but about a week ago he left aboard a chartered yacht for what was described as a vacation perhaps in the Caribbean or in Europe or somewhere else. A spokesman for the new Sandinista back revolutionary government in Nicaragua says the regime is ready to hold elections. The election says the spokesman will be completely free something he says Nicaraguans have never seen. Cuba has reestablished relations with Nicaragua after a break of 18 years. President Carter has asked Mayor Neil Goldschmidt of Portland, Oregon to be his new transportation secretary and he wants former Mayor Moon Landru of New Orleans to be secretary of housing and urban development. Earlier today the Senate confirmed the nominations of Patricia Harris as secretary of health, education and welfare and the nomination of W. Graham Plater as deputy defense secretary. Mr. Carter is now at Camp David. Michael Shetley of Daytona Beach, Florida has an experimental car, a 1979 model which he calls a turbo diesel. He's been claiming that his car gets up to 110.6 miles per gallon but the Environmental Protection Agency tested the car and reported that it got only 34 miles per gallon in city driving and 52 miles per gallon on the highway. That's described as no better than most fuel efficient cars now available. But Michael Shetley says the EPA is wrong. There was a complete conspiracy to downgrade the American people and myself and they were successful at this point and I'm glad to see that it happened the way it did because I have got some facts and some documentation that we will use next week to prove that the EPA is nothing but a ripoff. The EPA also says Shetley's car flaunt pollution standards. Thousands of people are returning to their homes in parts of Indiana and Texas where flooding caused evacuations earlier in the week. Tropical storm Claudette caused the floods in Texas where five more people were reported killed today and raises the death count to seven because of the storm. Governor Bill Clemens says the storm has caused more than $700 million in damages along coastal areas of Texas. James McCacken of Tulsa, Oklahoma has reported a missing house. He bought an old wood frame house two months ago when he heard the city wanted to move it because of an e-highway. McCacken decided to have it moved himself but he says when he checked out the site this week there was nothing there except the