Animal Welfare Bill

Action can already be taken if such treatment is deemed abusive or cruel, but there will be no fundamental change in relation to horse racing. The right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald, along with a number of other Members, stressed the importance of educating people in good care for animals. As my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Ms Smith) pointed out, codes of good practice will be issued relating to different types of animal, and will be made available at the point of purchase. They will form the basis of any subsequent action taken under the provision for a welfare offence. I hope that the Bill will enable us to achieve a step change in education on good practice. Such education is not readily available in relation to many species, although Sweden, whose animal welfare legislation is similar to that in the Bill, has produced codes of good practice applying to the vast majority of pets that are available on the market. We hope to do the same. On the fighting offence, the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) expressed concern about our having removed from the Bill the reference to having equipment for use in, and keeping a place for, a fight. We got rid of that wording because we wanted a clear and simple Bill, in line with the Government’s better regulation agenda. We are confident that the phrase that remains in the Bill—"““making, or carrying out, arrangements for an animal fight””—" should, and will be, interpreted widely by the courts. It covers any arrangement relating to an animal fight, including keeping premises or equipment for fighting, planning a fight, transporting animals, and so forth. I hope that that reassures the hon. Gentleman.