HC Deb 21 April 1939 vol 346 cc692-3

12.14 P.m.

Sir T. Moore

I beg to move, in page 2, line 36, leave out "fifteenth," and insert "first."

This is merely to carry out the undertaking given by the Home Secretary to synchronise the prohibition on the importation of dead birds with the close season to which we have now agreed.

Mr. Harvey

I beg to second the Amendment.

12.15 p.m.

Mr. Denman

I wish to ask one question. Now that we are offered dates for the working of this Bill why is it that we were not offered a date for "any wild duck or wild goose recently killed or taken," which is left as the 28th day of February, when of course the close season has ended. There was a fortnight left between the dates. Now there is a whole month interval. It may be desirable to have so long a period, after the close of the shooting season, when birds can be on sale, but this is simply inviting evasion of the law and making it far more dim-cult to administer.

Sir T. Moore

The answer to that question is fairly obvious. The birds shot abroad may have been shot before the season, before the date which we hope will be accepted, and it would be intolerable if other countries were not allowed to sell birds shot before the date when the close season started.

Amendment agreed to.