Animal Welfare Bill

I thank the noble Countess for her question and for giving me the opportunity to spell out exactly what I mean. Subsection (4) of my amendment states that the regulations will exempt particular species of animals in specific circumstances. So, if it was felt that the five freedoms could be met, for example, for the Spanish Riding School horses—and the likelihood is that they could be, because we are not, after all, seeking to ban all dressage and show-jumping events, or anything of that kind—subsection (4) would enable the regulations to exempt such species. I should say to the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, that my amendment does not envisage a total ban because it leaves it open for the regulating authority to consider what species of animals it may be appropriate to exempt. I reiterate the question of the noble Countess about what is ““wild”” because of my concern about the amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady Byford. There could be many circumstances in which circus owners may say, ““But this is a third-generation tiger. It is not wild and so it is fine to carry on using it””. Is that what the noble Baroness intended?