APPLICATION FOR LICENCE (Hansard, 12 June 1981)

§ Mr. Blackburn
I beg to move amendment No. 8, in page 2, line 2, leave out from 'zoo' to 'shall' in line 3.

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
With this it will be convenient to take the following amendments:
No. 47, in clause 6, page 5, line 21, after 'with', insert 'subsections (1), (3) and (4) of'.
No. 68, in clause 10, page 6, line 24, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 77, in page 7, line 9, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 78, in page 7, line 10, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 81, in page 7, line 15, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 83, in page 7, line 26, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 84, in page 7, line 27, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 89, in page 7, line 44, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 126, in clause 15, page 9, line 28, leave out 'proprietors' and insert 'operators'.
No. 130, in page 9, line 36, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 151, in clause 19, page 12, line 16, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.
No. 159, in clause 21, page 13, leave out lines 35 and 36.
No. 164, in clause 22, page 14, line 15, leave out 'proprietor' and insert 'operator'.

§ Mr. Blackburn
Amendment No. 8 is a drafting amendment. It does not affect in any way the procedure for submitting an application. I commend it to the House. If the amendment is approved by the House, amendment No. 47 will fall.

§ Mr. Proctor
Although this is a drafting amendment, will my hon. Friend briefly explain why there is a change from the word "proprietor" to "operator" throughout the Bill? I think that I am right in saying that the 14 amendments have that effect throughout the Bill. Clause 21(1), which is the interpretation clause, defines what a proprietor is, but it does not define what an operator is. Is it my hon. Friend's intention in another place to define what an operator is, as the Bill defines a proprietor? I should be grateful for my hon. Friend's brief comments.

§ Mr. Blackburn
When the Bill appeared before the Committee the word "maintains" was used ill the definition clause and was changed to "operates". It is as a result of that amendment in Committee that these consequential amendments are proposed. Almost certainly the word "operator" would be defined in the Bill in another place, although I cannot give an assurance about that. That is extremely important, particularly in view of the amendments, which refer to the operator.

§ Mr. Colvin
Grouped in the amendments is amendment No. 47 which stands in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Hereford (Mr. Shepherd). I should like to draw the attention of my hon. Friend the Member 673 for Dudley, West (Mr. Blackburn) to that amendment. It places the obligation on a zoo owner to go through the procedure of readvertising in local and national papers in the event of applying for a licence or being required to make a full application when it is due to be renewed, and also to go through the business of giving notice.
If the local authority has asked the applicant to make an application, it knows that an application is coming. Therefore, to require that notice be given once more under the terms of the Bill is total superfluous. I suggest to my hon. Friend that the requirement to readvertise is also superfluous.
I should be grateful if my hon. Friend would comment on that matter and say that he will reconsider it before the Bill reaches another place.

§ Mr. Blackburn
Amendment No. 47 is designed to reduce the opportunities of interested parties to make representations related to licence extensions. If the House decides to accept amendment No. 8, amendment No. 47 will be a tidying amendment. The Bill would make it an offence to maintain a zoo without a licence. If the zoo is maintained without a licence, the proprietor would be committing an offence.
I emphasise that in Committee it was suggested that "maintain" was not the appropriate word—I believe by my hon. Fiend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Colvin). The dictionary definition of "maintain" is: To cause to continue to keep in repair". That is why I have put down the amendment.
Amendment agreed to.