Clause 32 - Group registration: addition or replacement
Hunting Bill
5:30 pm
Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal, Conservative)
Can we look at the matter simply? Most hunts are organised straightforwardly; people join them and they either like them or not. I do not know of a single hunt that has asked for special protection in case a member of LACS wishes to join it. That makes no sense. I hope that the Minister will carefully address the point that there is a suspicion abroad that the Bill is designed to make it difficult or impossible for hunting to take place. This clause increases that suspicion because, as my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Harborough said, it has nothing to do with animal welfare and it is not useful. The Minister seems willing to help all who table amendments from Labour Benches. On this one occasion, could he not be generous, recognise that the subsection is of no use, and withdraw it. If he were able to do that, we would be very cheered at the end of a long day.