Commons Bill [HL]

moved, as an amendment to Amendment No. 58, Amendment No. 59: Line 23, at end insert— ““(f)   the promotion of animal welfare”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, for the promotion of animal welfare it is important to be able to undertake works without consent when animals are suffering or would suffer if the works were not carried out. This is an essential insertion in the Bill. In it, we are supported by the National Farmers Union. There need to be facilities for routine tasks that are necessary to maintain the good health of the animals. There may also be animal health emergencies, such as foot and mouth disease, when it may be right to act rapidly to prevent the spread of the disease. We have seen examples of that in recent times. The words in the amendment are the words used in the Animal Health Act, and, if they are appropriate there, they are surely appropriate here. When reading Amendment No. 58 for the first time, I thought that it seemed extremely long and complicated, but, after reading it thoroughly, I see that it has important aspects that give clear guidance. In particular, it is good to see the definition of purposes repeated in subsection (4) of the amendment. It refers to the use of land, the exercise of rights of common, nature conservation and so on. Amendment No. 58 is extremely helpful. I beg to move.