[Part II]
Hunting Bill
5:50 pm
Mr Paddy Tipping (Sherwood, Labour)
Surprisingly, there has been some agreement among the parties during the stand part debate. The hon. Member for North Wiltshire told us that the clause is the cornerstone of the Bill. Committee members recognise that the Bill disappears without clause 8. As a result, we have spent a great deal of time considering it. I was interested in the hon. Gentleman's point that he supports in principle the notion of a spectrum of cruelty and utility, but not in the form outlined in the Bill.
During the debate, three amendments have been passed: one on birds, the amendment of my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. Whitehead) on pest control, and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West, which was agreed earlier this afternoon. The latter switches the argument around and will change the burden of proof. As a result, we have an amended clause 8 that is slightly different from the one that was originally put before us.