Commons Bill [HL]

My Lords, I support Amendment No. 59, which was moved by my noble friend Lord Livsey of Talgarth. In the other place, I had Front-Bench responsibility for agriculture during the BSE and the foot and mouth crises, and I wish to draw attention to the need for speedy action in some circumstances. It would not be possible under the cumbersome regulations that would otherwise be necessary. In that context, it is an extraordinary lacuna that we do not have specific reference to animal welfare in the clause as amended by Amendment No. 58. The Minister said that the previous list of purposes was too limited. It is still too limited. Subsection (4) is not illustrative; it is exclusive and exhaustive. It states:"““The purposes referred to subsections (2) and (3) are””." They do not illustrate what the circumstances might be. They are very precise, and the exclusion of any reference to the promotion of animal welfare is a grave weakness in the Bill. The Minister may say that the amendment is not precise enough or that it will not deal with the problem with which I am concerned, and with which I am sure the farming community will be concerned, but I plead with him to think carefully, either at the next stage in this House or when the Bill goes to the other place, about the fact that the clause as it stands does not give an exemption power in special, emergency circumstances.