Schedule 1 - Exempt Hunting
Hunting (Re-committed) Bill
4:15 pm
Mr Tony Banks (West Ham, Labour)
I shall be brief, because I do not want to deny hon. Members the opportunity to make their points. For the record, I am against amendment No. 69 because, in the end, it would open up the possibility of loopholes. We are always passing laws to stop the people who will not usually abide by codes of practice or normal decent behaviour. Therefore, even if a code is drawn up, those who are determined to continue their practices will find a way round it if a loophole is provided.
I have read the British Association for Shooting and Conservation code. I have seen everything about using soft terriers as opposed to hard terriers. My terriers would take on a lion, and they would be eaten: they are marginally more stupid than their owner in that respect. Such codes are interesting and they are normally written for reasonable people. Unfortunately, we have to pass laws that are used to control unreasonable people, and this amendment would open up a loophole.