Part of Animal Health Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 6:45 pm on 4 December 2001.
I, too, support the amendment, which is modest but would improve the Bill. I must admit that I like the phrase ''officer of the Minister'' best. I cannot understand why that phrase was not used elsewhere in the Bill and that we had consistency, rather than the word ''inspector'', which means very little to me.
Whichever people turn up at a farm, it is essential that the person who leads that group and acts is standing as an officer of the Minister. I can therefore understand the amendment tabled by the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall, which would ensure that that person was described as
''an authorised person of the Minister''.
Anything is better than ''inspector'', for the reasons that have been given. I trust that the Minister will look favourably on this modest improvement.