Animal Welfare Bill

moved Amendment No. 50:"After Clause 10, insert the following new clause—" ““OFFERING ANIMALS AS PRIZES (1)   A person commits an offence if he offers or gives an animal to another person as a prize. (2)   Subsection (1) does not apply where the prize is offered or given in a family context.”” The noble Baroness said: This amendment seeks to make offering pet animals as prizes to anyone an offence. The Bill deals with pets as prizes only for people under 16 years old. Although I recognise that Clause 11 is a good start, introducing this new clause would extend that. My amendment is taken from the Scottish Animal Health and Welfare Bill, which makes it an offence to offer a pet as a prize to anyone except in a family context; for example, between siblings one might offer—although I cannot imagine why one would—a hamster as a prize for the best-kept bedroom or something of that sort, which is an inter-family instance. I have also given notice of my intention to oppose the Question that Clause 11 stand part of the Bill because, as it is written, it is inadequate. The RSPCA points out that it could allow a minor accompanied by a 16 year-old to win an animal as a prize. The comparison that has to be made is that when one walks into a pet shop, particularly now that we have the Bill, the owner will talk through the responsibilities of owning a pet and will give guidance about what taking ownership of it means. That would be the case whether one is an adult or a youngster. However, when an animal is offered as a prize, there is no guidance. Adults could equally get caught up in the moment and find themselves with some unfortunate animal—a fish, a hamster or whatever—that they do not want but have been given as a prize. Would stallholders offering such prizes to adults be given the same level of responsibility as shop keepers? Would they need a signature from the winner to say that the recipient of the prize is able to look after the animal, which many pet shops already require? Indeed, animal sanctuaries check the conditions of the home to which an animal goes. Some local authorities have already decided to move beyond the point envisaged in the Bill. They do not allow pets to be offered as prizes at any events they licence. The Pet Advisory Committee suggests that giving animals as prizes to anybody should be banned. The Bill should follow its advice. I beg to move.