Clause 17 - Determination by registrar
Hunting Bill
7:30 pm
Mrs Diana Organ (Forest of Dean, Labour)
Although I seek to make amendments to part 2, I am not at all convinced about the licensing system, as my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Ms Atherton) stated earlier today. I am not convinced that one can licence cruelty. I reserve my judgment until the Bill is on Report. My right hon. Friend the Minister, as is usual with him, has made the importance of the tests of cruelty and utility absolutely clear. Indeed, they are at the heart of the Bill. Applicants have to prove that there is a legitimate reason for their activity and that the method
that they are applying to use is less cruel than alternatives such as lamping and shooting.
The aim of these simple, probing amendments is to seek reassurance from my hon. Friend the Minister about the strength of the tests for cruelty and utility and to ensure that the registrar has the certainty necessary to implement the tests fully and rigorously.