Hunting Bill
7:15 pm
Mr Alun Michael (Minister of State (Rural Affairs), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Cardiff South and Penarth, Labour/Co-operative)
I am grateful to the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal for allowing us to end this sitting on a high intellectual note. We must be careful in particular to deal with the suggestion that we should absolutely respect the right of people to do things with which we disagree absolutely. I mention child abuse simply to illustrate the range of issues involved when one applies any specific principle.
It is right that we have debated principles today. If the Bill is not decided on the basis of principles rather than on the basis of ''I am for it'' or ''I am against it'', if we do not seek a Bill that consistently applies the right principles and if we do not, as members of the Committee have done today, check those principles and question their application and the practicalities, we shall not make good law.
The only point that has been unhelpful is the suggestion that we must look to the interpretation of individual philosophers to reach a conclusion. Our obligation in the Committee is to think for ourselves. I welcome the fact that there are signs that a good deal of thinking is going on in this first sitting. I look forward to many of the issues that have been raised and trailed here being examined in detail when we come to the amendments. Of course we must consider what is relevant. I should tell the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal that I have spent time over the last few months saying, ''What if we apply the principle in this way? What are the practical outcomes?'' as well as trying to get the right principles in the Bill, as I hope I have. However, we shall return to that at our next sitting.
Question put and agreed to.
Adjourned accordingly at twenty-nine minutes to Eight o'clock till Thursday 9 January at five minutes to Nine o'clock.