Animal Welfare Bill

There is an issue between us here and I hope that the Government will look at it again. The Minister does not think that the amendment would add anything to the Bill. At present the clause states:"““An inspector or a constable may take a protected animal into possession if a veterinary surgeon certifies—""(a) that it is suffering or,""(b) that it is likely to suffer if its circumstances do not change””." While the existing circumstances may be fine, the wider context of the history of similar animals and the condition of other animals currently in the same position may suggest that those circumstances could change for the worse. We are not concerned about a situation where the circumstances do not change, but where there is evidence that they may change for the worse. The current wording may not quite meet the point. However, I will not press the amendment now.