Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

I have been accused of far worse. I do not think the Minister would find it easy to sell outside this House the idea that more powers are needed to detect who killed a bird than to stop somebody torturing an animal at that very moment, especially as the torture is likely to lead to the animal’s death. I find that difficult to comprehend. That is why I shall repeat that we have simply sought to replicate the powers that the Government seek to take in the draft Animal Welfare Bill. It seems immensely logical to have consistency between inspectors and enforcement in one aspect of animal welfare and those in another. After all, poisoning birds of prey is an animal welfare issue. As my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall) said, we all condemn that and want it stopped. However, the Government cannot claim that it is different—and needs a wholly different set of powers—from the case of someone in the process of inflicting pain and suffering on a domestic animal, or whatever the phrase is these days for a pet cat, dog or budgie. If an animal is suffering, the issue is far more urgent than the need to detect the person responsible for something that has already happened—