Animal Welfare Bill

That would cause the situation to escalate even further. If it is possible to challenge whether the notice should have been issued in the first place, the situation becomes unnecessarily complicated. Do we not trust the judgment of those who go and inspect the situation on the ground, the circumstances of the animal and the circumstances of the person who is likely to be issued with the improvement notice or prosecuted? We know that some people are negligent, cruel or passively delinquent in the way they look after an animal. Introducing an element of compulsion will not necessarily serve justice or provide the flexibility and discretion that inspectors need. I therefore support the original wording ““may””.