Clause 10 - Regulations to promote welfare
Animal Welfare Bill
2:30 pm
Ben Bradshaw (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Exeter, Labour)
Clause 10 provides powers for the appropriate national authority to make regulations for the purpose of promoting animal welfare. The amendments seek to restrict that power in what we believe is an inappropriate manner. Amendment No. 73 is unnecessary as neither national authority would attempt to introduce a regulation unless it was satisfied that that was necessary to promote animal welfare.
The reference to “scientific advice” could have the effect of preventing the authority from making a regulation even when there was good cause to do so. While we will, of course, take into account the latest scientific evidence when assessing the level of regulation that should apply to a particular activity, there are other issues—we have already discussed good practice—that we will also want to consider. The amendment would not allow the appropriate national authority to consider those.