Clause 5 - Mutilation
Animal Welfare Bill
5:45 pm
David Drew (Stroud, Labour)
I shall not rehearse my earlier point, but I seek absolute clarification. I am always concerned about who makes the decision about such issues, and that is why I would be concerned if the amendments were agreed to. They imply that the owner alone would make the decision about whether the mutilations are allowable. I seek clarification from the Minister, perhaps restating what he has already said. The treatment should always be instigated professionally, even if an owner has brought the animal to the vet with that sole purpose in mind. Will he clarify that the vet will always make such decisions? If so, that would be why the amendments are unnecessary.